Report: Palace beaten away at Sunderland

Summary:

• Two changes for Palace from previous Premier League XI: Lerma and Richards return.
• Riad in first senior squad for just over a year; Imray makes the squad for first time.
• 7: Pino’s reverse pass finds Mateta in space, but his dinked finish is stopped by Roefs.
• 23: Brobbey slices wide on his weaker foot, after the ball ricochets into his path.
• 28: Hume heads wide from a Sunderland corner after the hosts launch aerial assault.
• 30 – GOAL: Pino reacts sharply to Roefs’ poor punch to loop a floated finish into the top corner.
• 33 – Goal: Le Fee equalises immediately with a placed finish from Mukiele’s pull-back.
• 43: Mitchell heads wide from close range after strong hold-up play by Mateta.
• HT: Sunderland 1-1 Palace
• 48: Pino’s whipped free-kick from a tight angle lands on the roof of the net.
• 65: Palace defend their box well as Sunderland attempt cross after cross.
• 71 – Goal: Brobbey improvises to fashion a finish for Sunderland from a loose ball.
• 76: Henderson makes excellent one-handed save from Le Fee to keep the Eagles in it.
• 90: The ‘keeper makes a late double save from Mayenda and Ballard.
• FT: Sunderland 2-1 Palace

The Eagles made two changes to our Premier League starting XI on Wearside: Chris Richards and Jefferson Lerma replaced Marc Guéhi and Jaydee Canvot, with Dean Henderson handed the captain’s armband.

There were a pair of positives to celebrate among Palace’s substitutes, with 22-year-old full-back Danny Imray – recalled from Blackpool – making his first senior matchday squad for Palace, and Chadi Riad – on the road back from long-term injury – named in the squad for the first time in just over a year.

With just one defeat in their previous seven in all competitions, Sunderland came into the contest full of confidence, and soon mounted a succession of aerial attacks on the Palace box, putting high balls into dangerous areas whenever they could.

But Palace were getting into promising positions too and, after just seven minutes, Pino received the ball high up the pitch and played a cute reverse pass into the path of Jean-Philippe Mateta.

With just the ‘keeper to beat, Mateta dinked it over Robin Roefs – but the Sunderland man’s strong hand took the pace off the ball, and a covering defender was able to clear.

The opening quarter proved entertaining enough, if light on clear chances – setting the tone for a largely scrappy game.

That almost benefitted Sunderland on 23 minutes after a pull-back took a fortuitous deflection into the path of Brian Brobbey, but the Sunderland No. 9 made a hash of his left-footed finish inside the six-yard box.

Minutes later, Sunderland’s recent proficiency from set-pieces came to the fore when Trai Hume headed wide from a corner wide, six yards out.

Then, on the half-hour mark, Palace took the lead – Pino’s fifth goal of the season an impressive piece of improvisation.

Winning a corner themselves, Will Hughes put in an in-swinging cross which Roefs – under pressure from Richards – could only punch into a central area. Pino, racing onto it, adjusted his stride and, cutely, looped a half-volley beyond the goalkeeper and into the top corner.

Sadly, the lead would last just three minutes. A triangle of quick passes on the halfway line sent Nordi Mukiele running down Sunderland’s right wing, and his low pull-back – left by Brobbey – found Enzo Le Fee in space to place home a sweeping low finish.

The two teams continued to give as good as they got – and Palace came within inches of taking the lead on the stroke of half-time after fine hold-up play, and an accurate delivery, from Mateta out wide.

Mitchell, sprinting to meet it in the six-yard box, stooped to make the header; he nodded narrowly wide of the target.

Palace continued to threaten early in the second-half and Pino – having won a free-kick from Hume with a fine piece of footwork – whipped a clever shot towards the far corner from a tight angle. It wasn’t far away, but landed on the roof of the net.

As the second-half wore on, and the bookings mounted for both sides in a combative contest, Sunderland looked the more likely team to score next.

So the case proved with 20 minutes remaining. Noah Sadiki’s deflected through ball fell fortuitously into the stride of Brobbey, and the Sunderland forward adjusted well to lift it in off the underside of the bar from a tight angle.

Palace continued to press forwards in search of an equaliser, but the better chances late on were Sunderland’s, with Henderson showing impressive reflexes to deny all three of Le Fee, Eliezer Mayenda and Dan Ballard in the closing stages.

Nevertheless, it was Sunderland who took all three points on Wearside.

Sunderland: Roefs (GK), Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo, Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Fée, Mundle (Cirkin, 88), Brobbey (Mayenda, 84).

Subs: Patterson (GK), O’Nien, Geertruida, Rigg, Neil, Isidor, Adingra.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Lerma, Devenny, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell, Johnson, Pino, Mateta.

Subs: Benítez (GK), Matthews (GK), Canvot, Riad, Sosa, Imray, Rodney, Drakes-Thomas, Uche.

As It Happened