The Sunday Times - UK (2022-05-22)

10 May 22, 2022The Sunday Times

Football Sky Bet League One play-off final

Star man Alex Pritchard (Sunderland).

Substitutes: Sunderland Clarke (for Embleton

61min, 7), Doyle (for Pritchard 81), Broadhead (for

R Stewart 88). Wycombe Wing (for Horgan 55, 6),

Hanlan (for Obita 65, 6), Akinfenwa (for Gape 75).

Referee S Hooper. Attendance 72,322.

P

lenty of the 46,000 fans at

Wembley were old enough

to remember Sunderland’s

six previous play-off failures

over the past 35 years, so

they might have expected

another rollercoaster ride

at Wembley yesterday. As it

was, they banished their curse and

secured promotion to the

Championship with ease — a victory

secured by goals from the local boy,

Elliot Embleton, and Ross Stewart

barely reflecting their dominance.

Alex Neil’s side held their nerve

and were too strong for Wycombe

Wanderers as they ended a four-year

spell in the third tier. A club that had

become something of a laughing

stock in the eyes of rival fans put

smiles on the faces of their own

supporters with a brilliant finish to

the season. This was their 16th

successive game unbeaten.

“People love to stick the boot into

a fallen giant,” Neil said. “It was such

a challenge for me to come here and

Stockdale

4

Tafazolli

5

McCarthy

5

Jacobson

6

A Stewart

6

Vokes

5

Horgan

4

Scowen

5

McCleary

5

Obita

5

Gape

5

4-5-1

Patterson

7

Wright

7

Cirkin

7

Gooch

7

Pritchard

8

Embleton

7

Roberts

6

R Stewart

7

Batth

7

Evans

6

O’Nien

7

4-5-1

Sunderland

hold nerve to

finally banish

play-off curse

SUNDERLAND

Embleton 12, R Stewart 79 2

WYCOMBE WANDERERS

0

Paul Rowan

Wembley Stadium

Rangers put behind

them their Europa

League final loss to

win their first Scottish

Cup since 2009, 2-0

against Hearts, the

goals coming in extra

time. Having been

defeated by Eintracht

Frankfurt on

Wednesday, Rangers

were desperate for

silverware. They broke

through when

substitute Ryan Jack

struck from the edge

of the area four

minutes into extra

time. Scott Wright,

another substitute,

doubled their lead

three minutes later.

SUBSTITUTES

EASE PAIN TO

FIRE RANGERS

TO SCOTTISH

CUP SUCCESS

And how. Neil took over in

February, with Lee Johnson, his

predecessor, sacked after a 6-0 defeat

at Bolton Wanderers. The Scotsman,

40, led the Black Cats to fifth in the

League One table with that stunning

run-in before continuing the good

form in these play-offs.

For Wycombe, there would be no

bounce straight back to the

Championship — and there never

looked like being one. Sunderland

started by far the brighter and Alex

show people but you can only do that

with really good players.

“People think I am miserable but I

am not, I am just content. The most

important thing is that I have been

able to deliver for so many people.”