It was Sunderland’s turn to dominate the ball, with Bracewell all over his former team-mate Proctor in midfield. Pascoe and Gates were looking to feed the rapid Gabbiadini. For Boro, it was the hard-working Mowbray who was shining at the heart of a hard-worked Boro defence in this period. He was on hand to deflect an excellent shot from Eric Gates off the line as the Black Cats turned the screw.
This was the first of the North East derbies of the 1989/90 season. With the ‘big three’ all playing in the second
tier for this campaign, every derby bar the very last one, on the last day of the season, to avoid any advantage or otherwise going into a play-off situation (Newcastle v Middlesbrough) was scheduled for an all-ticket Sunday lunchtime kick-off.
Middlesbrough manager Bruce Rioch was anticipating this match being Gary Pallister’s last game for them, with a £1.9 million move to Manchester United imminent. There were a number of Sunderland connections (both previous and to come) in their team, with a young Tony Mowbray partnering Pallister at the centre of their defence, former midfielder Mark Proctor in the engine room, and future Sunderland forward Peter Davenport (a great favourite of Brian Clough at Forest) up front. The dangerous Bernie Slaven and recent signing Trevor Putney, playing his first game ever in the second tier, added to a strong-looking Boro side.
For Sunderland, the exciting news was the commencement of the six-game loan of former player Paul Bracewell. His previous spell had finished in the last game of the 1983/84 season with a 2 – 0 win at Leicester, before being transferred to Everton and becoming part of a very successful era at Goodison Park. A tackle by Billy Whitehurst had almost ended his career, and, having worked his way back from the complex ankle injury, he was now looking to prove he was back to something like his best by playing competitive games.
I was really chuffed to see this quality midfielder back on our turf. Brace had a good relationship with the Roker crowd, who had seen his pedigree in his previous spell. He had an affinity with the area, having met his wife during his first spell with us; he also had a good relationship with Denis Smith, whom he played under at Stoke City, and Viv Busby, whom he played alongside. Added to all this, following the six operations he had endured on his ankle, he had sought the guidance of North East balance and movement expert Len Hepple (Pop Robson’s father-in-law), who, amongst many others, had helped Ian Porterfield back to full mobility in the midst of the 1973 FA Cup run.
Smith was banking on Gary Bennett recovering from injury to take his place at the expense of youngster Richard Ord, who had stepped in for the injured Bennett at Ipswich in midweek in a 4 – 2 reverse.
Bracewell would take his place in the centre of midfield, with young winger Tony Cullen dropping to the bench and Gary Owers moving out wide.
The crowd looked in the region of a disappointing twenty-two thousand, with Roker Park under attendance restrictions as its future was being debated, and police intervention saw the much-disliked early Sunday kick-off.
Nevertheless, the game kicked off in fresh sunshine and with those gathered in boisterous good voice.
Boro started the game well, with their experience of top-tier football the previous season showing, though not really troubling Tony Norman in the Sunderland goal.
On five minutes, we burst into life as Gates slipped Gabbiadini through to send him in for a one-on-one with Kevin Poole in the Boro goal. Marco did not do too much wrong as we held our breath in anticipation, but credit the goalkeeper with a good reaction as he deflected the ball over the bar.
Bracewell’s influence was starting to grow on the game, and he threaded a great ball to Gordon Armstrong on-rushing; the youngster connected just inside the box but put the ball straight at Poole.
We were holding the ball well and looking the more likely to score, with an Armstrong corner in particular hitting the bar and causing mayhem. Amidst all our pressure, Boro broke away and scored.
In a rapid counter-move on twenty-two minutes, Bernie Slaven managed to ride challenges by Agboola and Gary Bennett scrambling back, to slot the ball past Tony Norman as he raced out to block.
Sunderland’s response triggered the Roker crowd as Poole tipped a good Armstrong free kick just over the bar, and Bracewell was at the heart of some good Sunderland pressure.
Tony Norman then saved well with his legs as Davenport got in a snap-shot, with Boro just about controlling the majority of the ball going into half-time.
Forty-eight seconds into the second half, a cross from the right by Pascoe found Gabbiadini in the box. His ball control, persistence, and strength at pace saw him deliver a short pass to Gary Bennett, who swivelled like a finely-tuned striker and buried the ball past Poole for our equaliser from about twelve yards out.
Just as in the first half, at the height of all this pressure and Sunderland straining for the winner, Boro broke away and almost scored as Slaven put a close-range header onto the bar.
The Lads would not be denied, though, and on seventy-five minutes, we saw a contender for goal of the season as the ball was swept through Bracewell to Gates, who played it with perfect timing into the path of the speeding Pascoe, who curled it with an exquisite touch around Poole and into the back of the net for the winner.
This goal would prove to be the Welshman’s only league goal that season, but what a quality move and strike it was.
We saw the game out without too much more ado and, in the end, were full value for the points as we moved to fourth in the table.
Referee George Courtney booked nobody in a contest that saw Sunderland awarded twenty-six free kicks to Boro’s nine. The experienced official added to the spectacle with some sensible ‘derby-day’ refereeing.
George Courtney would return to referee another derby in the play-off semi-final at St James’ Park at the end of this season, where he put in another excellent display to conclude a game Newcastle fans were determined to interrupt and hopefully get replayed.
Middlesbrough fell away badly and were lucky not to get relegated for a second consecutive season.
Denis Smith was pleased with the victory and the performance of Paul Bracewell.
He said afterwards, “Paul makes the game look so easy; he added quality, as did Benno, who used his extra gear rather than coasting.” Smith also said that this team was the best, in terms of quality, that he had ever put out onto the park in his management career.
Sunderland found the £250,000 Everton were demanding for Bracewell, and he proved to be an excellent signing as he drove us on through the play-offs to Wembley.
Barclays League Division Two | Date – 27.08.1989 | Venue – Roker Park | Attendance – 21,569
Sunderland 2 – 1 Middlesbrough
Goalscorers – Slaven 22 mins, Bennett 46 mins, Pascoe 75 mins
Sunderland – Norman; Agboola; Hardyman; McPhail; Bennett; Pascoe; Armstrong; Bracewell; Owers; Gates; Gabbiadini. Subs (unused) Cullen; Hawke
Middlesbrough – Poole; Parkinson; Mohan; Mowbray; Pallister; Ripley (Brennan 79 mins); Proctor; Putney; Comfort; Slaven; Davenport. Sub Kernaghan.
