Sunderland 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday – Match Report
Danny Rohl completed the great escape as Sheffield Wednesday won at the Stadium of Light on the Championship final day.
The Owls, who sat rock bottom with just three points to their name when Rohl was appointed in October, were in the relegation zone from the 11th of August right through to the 21st of April and needed just a point at Sunderland to secure survival.
Wednesday opened the scoring on the 29th minute after a well worked move was slotted home by Liam Palmer.
Rohl’s side doubled their lead 9 minutes later as Pol Valentin’s cross was finished well by Josh Windass.
Sunderland did very little to threaten the visitors, a performance which encapsulated the second half of their season in one.
Mike Dodds made two changes from the side that lost 1-0 at Watford, as Anthony Patterson and Chris Rigg made way for Nathan Bishop and Patrick Roberts.
Rohl stuck with the same 11 that beat West Brom 3-0 in their final home game of the season last weekend.
The Owls opened the scoring in the 29th minute as Barry Bannan slipped in Palmer who squeezed his shot in between Bishop and the near post to make it 0-1.
Sunderland’s best chance of the afternoon came when Jack Clarke received the ball in his trademark and his curling shot came back off James Beadle’s post in the 34th minute.
Windass gave his side a bit of breathing room in the 38th minute as he powered his shot into the ground and past Bishop following a cut back from Valentin.
Wednesday needed to do nothing more other than hold their lead, which they found quite comfortable as the Black Cats applied little to no pressure in the second half.
The full time whistle brought the end to an extremely miserable season for Sunderland, yet elation for the travelling fans who had pulled off a modern day miracle to stay up after being in the relegation zone for 253 days.