Football: Sunderland lead Championship after 2-1 win

Monday, April 9, 2007

Southampton FC 1 2 Sunderland FC


Match Stats
Attendance 25766
Goalscorers for Southampton FC Saganowski (67')
Goalscorers for Sunderland FC Edwards (77'), Leadbitter (87')
Bookings (Southampton FC) None
Bookings (Sunderland FC) Yorke (Yellow (1))


Sunderland is the new leader of the Coca Cola Championship after a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Monday night. Roy Keane's side has been storming up the table in past weeks, having not lost since the sixth of January, a total of sixteen games. Both teams are in the hunt for promotion, with Sunderland likely to qualify automatically. Southampton on the other hand has a chance to qualify for the Premiership through the playoffs. Leon Best and Marek Saganowski were started as strikers for Southampton, while Sunderland started David Connolly and Stephen Elliott up front.

The first half was played out evenly, with Sunderland getting the better of the chances as David Connolly struck the post. Southampton started the scoring in the second half when Marek Saganowski poked home a cut back cross by Danny Guthrie. Carlos Edwards tied up the match for Sunderland ten minutes later from a high quality strike. The Trinidad international gathered the ball on the right, cut to his left, and unleashed a cannon into the top corner past keeper Bartosz Bialkowski. As the game neared its end, Sunderland scored the winner through substitute Grant Leadbitter, as his equally powerful shot was beyond Bialkowski, giving the Black Cats the three points.

With third place Birmingham City loosing in Barnsley and second place Derby County tying Coventry, first place in the league is left for the Black Cats with only five games remaining in the season. The loss leaves Southampton out of the playoff picture for the time being, but they are only one point back of sixth place Preston North End.

League Table

Pos Team Pld W-D-L GD Pts
1 Wolves 46 27-9-10 28 90
2 Birmingham 46 23-14-9 17 83
3 Sheffield Utd 46 22-14-10 25 80
4 Reading 46 21-14-11 32 77
5 Burnley 46 21-13-12 12 76
6 Preston 46 21-11-14 12 74
7 Cardiff City 46 19-17-10 12 74
8 Swansea City 46 16-20-10 13 68
9 Ipswich Town 46 17-15-14 9 66
10 Bristol City 46 15-16-15 0 61

Full Football League Table

Last updated: May 22, 2010 4:30pm UTC

Sources