Sunderland AFC may still have mixed feelings on Darren Bent after 2018 moment | OneFootball

The former England striker scored the goal that saw the Black Cats relegated to League One.

Sunderland's relegation to League One in 2018 was one of the most desperate times in the club's 145-year history, and it had an impact that has stretched over the course of the last six years.

The Black Cats had only just been dropped back down to the Championship the year prior, as their luck finally ran out, and they could not complete the great escape in the Premier League once again.

While they did have a terrible campaign in the top flight, few, if any, would have predicted the dramatic season that they went on to have in the second tier. Under the guidance of Chris Coleman, the Wearsiders struggled to adapt to the frantic nature of the division, and off-field issues crossed over to the pitch.

By spring, relegation seemed inevitable, but the way it happened, and the player who ensured it will always leave a sour taste in the mouths of Sunderland supporters.

Sunderland's season was doomed from the start

The 2017/18 campaign was a disaster for the Black Cats, and despite a relatively bright start which saw them win one and draw the other two of their first three matches, things only started to get worse.

It took Sunderland another 17 games to taste victory after picking up three points away to Sheffield Wednesday in their second match of the season, and they were quickly getting cut adrift at the bottom of the Championship table.

The Stadium of Light never proved to be a sanctuary as it had been in the past, and fan frustrations took over. There was a consistently a number of empty seats on show at the ground, and support for the team dropped severely.

A dominant 4-1 win over Derby County at Pride Park Stadium at the end of March gave hope that there was a corner to be turned, and the team were fighting back against the looming threat of almost certain relegation.

However, it proved to be a false dawn, and results took a hit quickly once again, leaving Sunderland's Championship status hanging by a thread.

Burton Albion made the long journey up to the North East in April 2018, with both sides needing victory to keep up with those outside the relegation spaces.

A win for Sunderland, however, was much more necessary as they knew defeat would see them relegated to League One.

The Brewers had signed Darren Bent on loan from Derby for the rest of the campaign in January, and his connection with the Black Cats was a significant one, having made 63 appearances and scoring 36 goals in a year-and-half stay from 2009 to 2011.

His goalscoring form was excellent during their Premier League days, and although he had left in what was a bit of a sideways move to Aston Villa at the time, he left supporters with great memories after helping the team to wins over Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur.

However, seven years later, he equalised in the 86th minute to allow his new side, Burton, back into the game at the Stadium of Light. Just four minutes later, Liam Boyce scored the winner, relegating Bent's former side.

The ex-England international had celebrated his goal by cupping his ear to the Sunderland faithful, a move that to this day seems disrespectful, and one that will still leave supporters with mixed feelings after he had given them so many great days during their Premier League stay.