Sunderland 1-0 Fulham
When Sunderland’s home hoodoo started 364 days ago, barely anyone knew who Josh Maja was.
They do now.
MAJIC
Sometimes you just have to gamble and today it paid off. Just five minutes after making his first-team debut, 18-year-old Maja was wheeling away in celebration as he opened the scoring and sent Sunderland en route to their first home win in almost 12 months. And it was a win they richly deserved, as Chris Coleman’s side maintained the resilience displayed at Molineux while adding a cutting edge in the final. James Vaughan was desperately unlucky not to score as Marcus Bettinelli was a string of saves, but when Maja turned in the box there was never any doubt as he remained ice cool to hand the Black Cats that long-awaited win.
SET THE TONE
Renowned for their style of play, Fulham did exactly what many expected of them and instantly monopolized the play as Sunderland were forced to hassle and harry their opponents. But it was James Vaughan, who replaced the suspended Lee Cattermole, who mustered the first attempt on goal, as he headed straight at Marcus Bettinelli from George Honeyman’s inviting cross. Fulham responded with a flurry of half-chances as Ryan Sessegnon and Sheyi Ojo exploited the flanks and slammed crosses into the six-yard box, but there was no one on hand to apply the finishing touch.
UNSETTLED
Sunderland’s high-intensity pressing continued to unsettle the visitors as they dallied on the ball and almost paid the price. Within a blink of an eye, Vaughan and Lewis Grabban were upon Fulham’s back four whenever they attempted to play it out from the back and Betinelli was forced into action again on ten minutes as he spilled Darron Gibson’s drive to safety. Rui Fonte was then outmuscled by Ty Browning after latching onto a clipped ball over the top, as the sides continued to trade blows in their search for an opening.
BETINELLI UNDER FIRE
The opener would define the game both sides showed they knew exactly that as an intense and frenetic affair continued. Betinelli did well to punch clear as Vaughan, who shook off a heavy collision with the keeper, loomed, and Honeyman’s 25-yard effort was beaten away by the Italian, who struggled to catch anything in the opening half hour, before misjudged a cross which was glanced wide by Grabban. But despite living dangerously at the back, Fulham flexed their attacking threat before the break as Oliver Norwood headed wide and Tom Cairney forced Robbin Ruiter into action on two occasions.
BETINELLI RESPONDS
A blistering start to the second period saw Fulham somehow cling to level terms. Donald Love’s searching cross evaded Honeyman and Grabban but was hooked towards goal by Vaughan, as Betinelli registered his first save – a routine one – following the restart. But there was nothing routine about what followed, as the Italian produced a stunning one-handed turn Vaughan’s bullet header to safety. Lynden Gooch was next to force a save as Grabban fired the follow-up wide, but after a flurry of near-misses the Cottagers responded as Ruiter denied Fonte and Ty Browning produced a vital last-ditch interception.
NEXT
Fulham continued to threaten as both sides threw off their shackles and went all-out attack, with Ojo towering above his man before planting a header straight at Ruiter before Coleman called upon reinforcements. Gooch was replaced as Didier Ndong injected fresh energy into the centre of the park, but it was a change five minutes later that captured the imagination as Joel Asoro and debutant Josh Maja entered the fray – and it was quite the introduction. A searching run from Adam Matthews looked like fizzing out but he timed his pass to perfection and Maja did the rest, turning his man with raw ability before providing the finish to match.
Attendance: 25,904
Sunderland: Ruiter, Wilson, O’Shea, Browning, Love, Matthews, Gibson, Honeyman, Gooch (Ndong 67), Vaughan (Maja 72), Grabban (Asoro 72).
Substitutes: Steele, Galloway, McGeady, McManaman.
Fulham: Betinelli, Fredericks, Sessegnon, McDonald, Johansen, Fonte, Cairney, Ream, Norwood (Graham 71), Ojo, Kalas.
Substitutes: Button, Odoi, Djalo, De La Torre, Cisse, Kamara.