Sunderland were labelled as potential whipping boys for gaining promotion by virtue of winning the play-offs this season, but back in the summer of 1990, the world expected Denis Smith’s side to fail miserably
in the top flight after being promoted having lost the play-off final.
Swindon Town’s “financial irregularities” meant a decision had to be made after it was decided they would not take their place in Division One after beating Sunderland at Wembley in the first year the play-off finals were hosted at the national stadium, and the FA decided it should be Sunderland.
Coming only two years after Smith had won the Third Division title at the first time of asking, it was going to be a big ask, but this task widened when the manager realised no funds were forthcoming to strengthen the squad. John MacPhail and Eric Gates left and Kevin Ball and Peter Davenport arrived in their place, which was the sum total of the business completed until the later stages of the season.
The first three games of the season provided hope, where Smith’s side deserved something at Carrow Road on the opening day before going down 3 – 2 against Dave Stringer’s Norwich City. A goalless draw followed at Roker against a Terry Venables Spurs side that contained Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker, before Gary Bennett’s wonder strike gave the Lads all three points at home to Manchester United.
Two draws against Everton and Wimbledon followed and then two defeats came against Liverpool and Aston Villa, which meant it was now only one win in the first eight games as we sat three points above the drop. Next up was the visit of Jim Ryan’s Luton Town to Roker as they sat seven points and nine places above us at the end of the season, but would end up battling with us for survival at the bottom on the last day of the season.
20,025 were in attendance for what was the first graded B match of the season and it was Sunderland immediately took the game to the visitors. Within five minutes, the home side should have taken the lead when Ceri Hughes cleared off the line from a Gary Owers header, but it was on twelve minutes that the deadlock was broken.
Man of the match Peter Davenport was the architect with a defence-splitting pass to Marco Gabbiadini who closed down the Luton defender John Dreyer before hooking it past the stranded Alec Chamberlain to score his fourth of the season.
Just over ten minutes later the lead was doubled when Sunderland’s new strike force changed roles, with Gabbiadini this time the provider for Davenport by riding a tough challenge from David Beaumont before finding the former Manchester United & Middlesbrough striker, who strode forward and lashed the ball into the roof of the net to match Marco by scoring his fourth of the season.
Even though Sunderland were two goals up with half an hour played, they went for more and it only seemed a matter of time before it would be three or four. Time after time future Sunderland keeper Chamberlain denied Gabbiadini and Davenport and fans left scratching their heads as to how Sunderland hadn’t won by a greater margin.
The win saw Smith’s side climb to 15th in the table with a six-point gap between themselves and the relegation places and things were looking good for a while.
Barclays Division One
Roker Park
Sunderland 2-0 Luton Town
[Gabbiadini 12’, Davenport 31’]
Sunderland: Norman, Kay, Ball, Bennett, Smith, Owers, Bracewell, Armstrong, Hardyman, Davenport, Gabbiadini Substitutes not used: Cullen, Rush
Luton Town: Chamberlain, Johnson, Harvey, Williams, Beaumont, Dreyer, Elstrup, Preece, Dowie, Hughes (McDonough), Black (Rees)
Attendance: 20,025
