Thank you Mackems – Trust Sunderland to cheer me up! | OneFootball

Monday night and I settled down to watch Leeds v Sunderland.

As a Newcastle United fan, I fancied something to cheer me up after what happened at the Etihad on Saturday.

I have taken a passing interest in the Championship this season.

Not particularly because of the Mackems, more to do with getting some more clubs in the Premier League that are a ‘little’ closer than Bournemouth, Brentford and other meaningless small clubs that as a Newcastle United fan, I find pretty meaningless.

The fact that Manchester City is our closest thing to a derby this season, says it all. Almost a 300 miles round trip from St James’ Park.

With clubs in the south set to fill the three Premier League relegation places, a bit of a rebalance set to happen, at least some progress for the north.

For some time it has looked a four horse race for the two Championship automatic promotion places, with two of Leeds Sheffield United, Burnley and Sunderland fighting it out. Another northern club, Blackburn, a distant fifth. Meaning it is also very very likely that a third northern team will go up through the play-offs, Rovers and two of the four who miss out on automatic promotion meaning it’s heavily weighted for the north.

If Sunderland could win at Elland Road, they would move to be only four points adrift of what would be a second placed Leeds, five points adrift of Sheff Utd who would be top.

I have to say, what I have seen of the Championship this season, the standard is woeful.

So last night didn’t ‘disappoint’, any of these teams that come up are surely going straight back down.

This Leeds v Sunderland match was poor from the first whistle, the home side totally dominant and the Mackems hardly able to get out of their own half, however, Leeds totally lacking a cutting edge.

Then on 32 minutes, out of nothing the Mackems scored through Isidor. Almost the first time they’d got anywhere near the opposition penalty area and some shocking defending allowed the Sunderland striker to turn his man and score.

I was tempted to turn off at that point!

However, I persevered, glad that I did…

The rest of the match continued as it had before the goal, Leeds totally dominant and a poor Sunderland side defending for their lives.

Just when it looked like an away win was written in the stars, Leeds defender Struijk came off the bench and stunned the Mackems with a 78th minute equaliser.

Even better, in the fifth minute of added time and seconds before the final whistle, the same player got the winner! Sunderland players dropping to their knees in despair.

The Sunderland fans who you could just about hear earlier singing ‘Stand up if you hate the Mags’, totally silenced.

Leeds now 10 points clear of Sunderland, Sheff Utd eight ahead of them.

The Mackems to have more play-off misery no doubt.

As I say though, sums it up how poor this second tier is, three teams woeful in the Premier League these past two seasons now filling the top three spots.