Despite reaching the FA Cup final the previous season, things weren’t looking so pretty for Malcom Crosby and his Sunderland side. A chequered start to the season where the team couldn’t find any consistency
saw them languishing in the mid-table of Division One.
A defeat on the opening day of the season against Swindon was followed up by a single goal win against Tranmere and a draw against Bristol City. This would ultimately be the sort of run that the team would go on for the first couple months of season with the two failing to string more than one win together until late November.
On this day in 1992, Sunderland travelled to London to take on West Ham on the back of a home win against Millwall but what would transpire is one of the most chastening experiences the team would have during a campaign of general woe.
Most of the damage arrived mid-way through the first half when Sunderland’s striker Don Goodman went off for some treatment for ten minutes to deal with a head injury requiring eight stitches. In this time, goals from Kevin Keen and Trevor Morley before the half hour killed the game off as a contest.
In all honesty, Sunderland were poor from the outset, lacking the intensity and aggression that the Hammers brought to the game. For example, for Keen’s opener, the West Ham man was left in oceans of space on the edge of the box to take a shot which potentially could have been saved by Tim Carter in goal.
The second goal was even more comical when Gary Bennett’s attempt of a clearing header was directed at the feet of Trevor Morley only yards from the Sunderland net making it an easy tap in for the striker.
Goodman returned to the pitch but the game was over as a contest with Martin Allen adding a third before half time.
Crosby made two changes early in the second half in the hope of redeeming something from a horrendous outing but further goals from Alvin Martin and a brace from Mark Robson ended the contest. Before the sixth goal, Goodman had a penalty saved by Ludek Miklosko to add insult to injury on a bad day at the office.
Crosby was not able to really garner any consistency from his team other than one small spell in November. Form had fallen off the cliff and by February, he was replaced by Terry Butcher who kept the team up by the skin of their teeth.
