You could point at quite a few games like this during the relegation of 1990-91, but this one sums up how it went quite nicely. We shouldn’t forget that it was one of those relegations where you were still proud of the Lads and considering how many of the side started out with us in Division Three, it was a heroic effort to stay up.
After a good start that included a home win over Manchester United and a draw against Division One’s glamour side Tottenham Hotspur at Roker, where Gary Lineker and Paul
Gascoigne rocked up only weeks after heartbreak at Italia 90’.
Soon after, we began a trend of losing leads or throwing away a point by conceding a late goal. Everton at Roker, Wimbledon away, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Manchester City at home, Spurs away, Norwich back on home soi,l and Palace on the road were all games where this occurred before we come to the fixture back on this day in 1990.
All of this surrendering of points meant we sat one point and one place above the side who occupied the last remaining relegation place, and yep, you guessed it – it was Don Howe’s Queens Park Rangers.
This was a proper six-pointer and since the Palace game at Selhurst Park was only three days prior to this and we had taken nothing from a game we were winning with around ten minutes to go, you might have thought we learnt our lesson.
An injury to Marco Gabbiadini meant that David Rush continued to partner new-boy Peter Davenport up top but after around twenty minutes at Loftus Road, the former Manchester United striker could play no further part after picking up a knock, which meant we now had the inexperienced forward line of Rush and Warren Hawke.
However, five minutes after the change, a Tony Norman goal kick was flicked on by Gordon Armstrong and Rush was through on goal until he was brought down by QPR keeper Jan Stejskal and the one and only Roger Milford (the man who controversially didn’t send off Gazza in the 1991 FA Cup final) pointed to the spot. Without our first-choice strikers, it was down to experienced midfielder Paul Bracewell to take the kick – but his casual kick was easily saved.
Around ten minutes later, the home side punished Sunderland for missing the spot kick when Ray Wilkins crossed for Danny Maddix to head in from close range. But on the stroke of half-time, and not for the first time that season, Denis Smith’s side forced their way back into it, this time Colin Pascoe knocking it in from close range after a save from the keeper.
Moments into the second half and Sunderland were on the attack and forced the referee to point at the spot for a second time. Again it was Rush who didn’t give the home defenders any peace in possession, and was eventually tripped by full-back David Bardsley. This time it was Kevin Ball and he sent the keeper the wrong way to put the Lads in front.
Just after the hour mark it was 2-2 after another penalty. This time it was John Kay who was overenthusiastic with a challenge when the ball was in the air and Milford thought it might be best to even the scores a little when it came to penalty kicks. Roy Wegerle stepped up and sent Norman the wrong way.
At this point, it became a game of basketball with both sides going for maximum points and it was a case of next goal the winner. With around ten minutes remaining, the goal came. Wilkins sprayed the ball wide to Bardsley with the outside of his foot, the full-back was then allowed to make his way to the edge of the box by Richard Ord who backed off, before floating the ball to the back post, where Mark Falco was there to volley home.
It was another cruel day in a season of cruel days.
Barclays Division One
Loftus Road
QPR 3-2 Sunderland
[Maddix 37’, Wegerle (pen) 63’, Falco 78’ – Pascoe 44’, Ball (pen) 48’]
Sunderland: Norman, Kay, Bennett, Ball, Ord, Owers, Bracewell, Armstrong, Pascoe, Rush, Davenport (Hawke (Hardyman))
QPR: Stejskal, Bardsley, Caesar, Maddix, Sansom, Barker, Wilkins, Tillson, Sinton, Falco, Wegerle (Meaker) Subs Not Used: Wilson
Attendance: 11,072
