By The Longsider
December 22 2004

Press reports covering our match with Sunderland on Saturday. We have reports from the Observe, Sporting Life and the Daily Telegraph. Bridges a thorn too far
The Observer

It was not the happy return to Wearside that Burnley manager Steve Cotterill had hoped for. Two seasons ago he had a brief spell as first-team coach under Howard Wilkinson as Sunderland went into terminal decline. Both men were fired with nine games of the season left and Mick McCarthy took over, but it was too late to keep them in the Premiership.

It had been a bizarre career move for both men. Wilkinson gave up the job of FA Director of Football and Cotterill walked out on Stoke City after just 13 weeks as manager. Following their exit from Sunderland Wilkinson vanished without trace and Cotterill found a job on Leicester City's ground staff.

But his pedigree and potential were too good to keep him out of the limelight for long and he took over from Stan Ternent at Turf Moor in the summer.

Since then he has guided Burnley into the top half of the Championship with an outside chance of reaching the play-offs. And if the quality of their football in this game is anything to go by they should prosper.

Cotterill had to watch the game from the stands following a verbal assault on an official back in August. But he enjoyed his return: 'I got a good reception from supporters and people who work here. But I'd have preferred to be on the touchline. When you're on the touchline people can't get away with things.'

This was a keenly fought game with good football from both sides. Sunderland, without playing at their best, won because they had more fire-power. Michael Bridges, on loan from Bolton Wanderers but hoping to make the move more permanent, was a constant menace. He laid on Sunderland's first goal with a touch of magic, delivering a pass that allowed Julio Arca to cut inside Michael Duff and beat Brian Jensen with an angled shot.

It was a goal that infuriated McCarthy: 'It was absolute sloppy, dreadful, garbage defending - and I told them so.'

But he was restored to his normal jolly self when Sunderland regained the lead with a strange goal in the 52nd minute. Strange because referee Dermot Gallagher awarded it to Lawrence but McCarthy (and Bridges) awarded it to Bridges.

Lawrence took a corner on the left. The ball reached Arca who played it back to the wingman and his shot looked to have found the net, though Bridges claimed the final touch.

'Do you think I'm waiting four years without scoring goals and then not claiming it?', Bridges said after the game. McCarthy had dropped Steve Elliott to fit Bridges into the side and the striker described it as 'a brave decision'. Sunderland's next home game, on Boxing Day, is against Leeds United and Bridges will be keen to turn out against his old club.

Burnley played well enough but lacked any sting in attack, giving Thomas Myhre a quiet afternoon. Blake had precious little service and dropped deeper in the second half looking for the ball. It hardly helped their cause.

For Sunderland, now joint second in the Championship and chasing an automatic promotion spot, this was a satisfying result. 'We weren't brilliant,' said McCarthy. 'But if there's a deserved winner I think it's us.'

And that defensive lapse apart, his side played with the sort of muscularity needed to escape the clutches of this league. They can afford to dream of renewing acquaintance with their great north-east rivals on the Tyne and Tees.

 

Sunderland 2 Burnley 1

Sporting Life

Sunderland put pressure on their Coca-Cola Championship promotion rivals by battling their way to a 2-1 win against Burnley.

The Black Cats always looked in control of the match at the Stadium of Light - but were rocked by an equaliser a minute after they took the lead in the first half.

Mick McCarthy's side then fought back and Liam Lawrence claimed the vital winner early in the second half to take the points and move within a point of leaders Wigan.

It was a miserable return to Wearside for Burnley boss Steve Cotterill, who had an unhappy spell at the club as assistant to Howard Wilkinson.

In the two years since, he has rebuilt his managerial reputation thanks, in part, to the form of Robbie Blake.

But Blake, again played as a lone striker, toiled against centre-backs Gary Breen and Neill Collins after initially looking bright.

The 28-year-old fired a left-footed drive just over the crossbar in the second minute but struggled without a strike partner to support him.

However, it was Blake who gifted the opener to Sunderland. Collecting the ball deep in opposition territory in the 35th minute, his crossfield pass went straight to Michael Bridges, who ran with pace at the Clarets defence.

The injury-prone striker had the awareness to slide a pass through to Julio Arca, who lifted the ball past Brian Jensen.

The goal was no more than the winger deserved after creating his side's best chances. He forced Jensen into a save early on with a deceptive shot from the left that could have crept in the near post.

However, the visitors were level within a minute when James O'Connor's cross was partially cleared and Graham Branch volleyed crisply beyond Thomas Myhre.

The Norway goalkeeper had little else to do, contrasting with Jensen who had a busy afternoon.

Lawrence had a long-range effort tipped over just before half-time as the home side starting to take control again.

Lawrence had a big piece of luck in the Black Cats winner which came seven minutes into the second period.

After taking a short corner, the blond-haired winger floated an innocuous-looking cross in from the left. The inswinger drifted past Jensen with Bridges trying and failing to claim a last touch on the goalline.

The hosts looked to seal the win but were up against centre-back John McGreal, who put in an aggressive performance to keep the score at two.

Despite big challenges on Bridges and strike partner Chris Brown, McGreal escaped without a booking, though Micah Hyde and Mike Duff were cautioned for reckless challenges.

Despite their dominance Bridges and Brown did not form an understanding as a strike pairing. Brown had a chance midway through the first half when the ball ricocheted to him from a corner, and he had a deflected effort drift wide in the second half.

McCarthy chose to take off the pair after 73 minutes, bringing on Marcus Stewart and top-scorer Stephen Elliott.

A minute before the change O'Connor, on loan from West Brom, had a great chance to equalise but volleyed just wide from eight yards from Blake's chip through.

Stephen Wright nearly added a third late on but his effort was blocked by Gary Cahill - and it remained 2-1.

Teams:

Sunderland: Myhre, Wright, Breen, Neill Collins, McCartney, Lawrence, Whitehead, Robinson, Arca (Whitley 82), Bridges (Elliott 73), Brown (Stewart 73).

Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Piper.

Goals: Arca 35, Lawrence 52.

Burnley: Jensen, Duff, McGreal, Cahill, Camara, Valois (Roche 51), Hyde, Branch (Chaplow 73), O'Connor, Moore, Blake.

Subs Not Used: O'Neill, Pilkington, Sanokho.

Booked: Duff, Hyde.

Goals: Branch 36.

Att: 27,102

Ref: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).

Sunderland Can Bridge Great Divide

Daily Telegraph

Michael Bridges, making only his second start of the season, provided a brilliant assist for Sunderland's first goal and believes he has a valid claim to have scored their second, though that is officially credited to man-of-the-match Liam Lawrence.

Lawrence curled in a cross which appeared to sail straight into the net, though scrutiny of the video suggests that Bridges did get the final touch. "It's come off my foot and changed direction," claimed Bridges, in a good-natured post-match exchange with his team-mate, who remained cheerfully adamant that the goal was his.

Whatever the outcome, the serious message is that Sunderland are powerful challengers for automatic promotion. Their ninth win in 12 matches put them within a point of top spot and maintained the pressure on leading clubs, Wigan and Ipswich.

Burnley manager Steve Cotterill, who endured a short, unhappy spell at Sunderland two years ago, as assistant manager to Howard Wilkinson, did his best to put a brake on his old club. A five man midfield was intended to stifle the attack but it failed and goalkeeper Brian Jensen was forced into good saves from Julio Arca, Bridges and Stephen Wright before Arca gave Sunderland the lead.

The goal was a calamity for Burnley captain Robbie Blake, who gave the ball away to Bridges on the halfway line, though the striker needed to show some deft footwork before delivering the killer ball to Arca. However, Blake – chased by Wigan – redeemed himself within a minute, flicking on James O'Connor's cross for Graham Branch to slide in the equaliser.

Mick McCarthy, the Sunderland manager, hurled a water bottle into the ground in frustration but he need not have worried. Sunderland were back in front seven minutes after the interval and then controlled the game, with Dean Whithead another to catch the eye in an efficient team performance.

Match details

Sunderland (4-4-2): Mhyre; Wright, Breen, Collins, McCartney; Lawrence, Whithead, Robinson, Arca (Whitley 82); Brown (Stewart 73), Bridges (Elliott 73).
Subs: Alnwick (g), Piper.
Goals: Arca (35), Lawrence (52).
Burnley (4-5-1). Jensen; Duff, Cahill, McGreal, Camara; Moore, O'Connor, Hyde, Branch (Chaplow 73), Valois (Roche 51); Blake.
Subs: O'Neil, Pilkington, Sanokho.
Goal: Branch (36).
Booked: Duff, Hyde.
Referee: D. Gallagher (Oxfordshire).