On This Day (15th Jan 1972): The Black Cats devour The Owls!

Today at 01:00 AM

Five years without an FA Cup win, Sunderland faced Sheffield Wednesday in the 3rd Round at Roker Park. With promotion hopes rising, did they need the extra games and pressure of a cup run?

Alan Brown's Sunderland had a decent season (1971/72) compared to the previous two. Promotion was still possible and at times I had witnessed this team play some entertaining and effective football.

The Owls had visited Roker Park in a league game just over two weeks previous and were well beaten at the finish, with good goals from Bobby Kerr and Dennis Tueart in front of almost 24,000 fans. This result put the cap on a good festive period for the Lads, with two wins and a draw to take us into January.

This result had also stretched our unbeaten run to four games but following a trip to Brisbane Road where a pretty average Orient side had demolished us to the tune of five goals to nil, debate amongst the fans was typically raging about the merits or otherwise of a decent cup run!

Acknowledging this debate, there was clearly still an appetite for cup football, with over 25,000 in the ground approaching kick-off, including a good following from Sheffield.

Sunderland were happy to see Jimmy Montgomery restored to the first team after five games absent with a hairline fracture of the shin. Young Derek Forster had done well in Monty's absence, but the five goals shipped the previous week probably decided to bring Monty back in a little easier.

For Sheffield Wednesday, first choice forward Mike Prendergast was still not fit, so Dave Sunley would continue up front alongside Brian Joicey. Wednesday included future Newcastle full-back Tommy Craig and former Newcastle player Jackie Sinclair in their line-up.

Hearing that Mick McGiven was on the bench and Brian Chambers starting in midfield, I was dead chuffed as I skipped up the Fulwell End steps. They were two young players who had attended the same Newcastle grammar school as I was now attending, I was an enthusiastic fan of both and always delighted in relaying reports of how they were doing to all my Toony' supporting school pals!

It was cold and wet, as Wednesday kicked off attacking the Roker End in the first half, with a good atmosphere in the stadium.

Within five minutes Billy Hughes had taken a clever inside pass from Bobby Kerr and blasted a shot that Peter Grummitt only just managed to deflect.

Less than a minute later Dave Watson (still playing centre forward at this point in his Sunderland career) got in on the action. A wicked cross by Porterfield saw Big Dave tower above his marker and power a header goal-bound. From my Fulwell End perch, this looked a goal all the way and my arms were aloft in anticipation and as the crowd surged, I missed the ball flying just past the far post, only to see Dennis Tueart fire the ball back across the goal from a narrow angle causing all kinds of consternation to the hard-pressed Owls defence.

Back came Sheffield, as John Sissons sped past Dick Malone and Martin Harvey and hit a scorcher of a shot that looked a sure-fire opener. Cue Jimmy Monty,' who arched himself cat-like to deflect for a corner, fantastic football all around.

Sissons was in the action again a couple of minutes later as he laid a well-paced pass off into the path of Brian Joicey unmarked and eight yards out. His snapshot was on target but Monty' to the rescue again as he managed to get an outstretched leg to the shot and deflect for a corner.

On thirty-five minutes the deadlock was broken. Tueart headed a Hughes cross square along the edge of the box right into the path of the onrushing Chambers. He appeared to mistime his shot with the ball almost rebounding off his shin, but forwards past a defender or two and straight into the path of Ian Porterfield who hammered home from close in. Fortuitous but probably deserved on the balance of play.

The Owls came fighting back after this reverse and won a free-kick about twenty-five yards from goal. Up stepped full-back Peter Rodrigues, who had a reputation for swerving free-kicks from distance. He did not disappoint as his kick bent and dipped, but just over the bar, close call!

Right after this our own free-kick specialist Bobby Kerr sent a long-range attempt that sent Grummitt the wrong way, it had the Fulwell End surging again, but the goalkeeper just managed to redirect himself to tip the ball away to safety.

The second half got underway with Sunderland retaining possession and on the attack. Dave Watson won the ball and fed Dennis Tueart on the left wing. He crossed perfectly for Hughes at the far post who looked in a good position to score, but was baulked by two defenders and the chance went begging.

Sunderland continued to dominate with Porterfield and Kerr keeping our lively front three well-supplied — surely the second goal would come?

It was on the hour, that Bobby Kerr hit a long diagonal ball into the box, which Sheffield defender Prophet (he did not see it coming) completely misjudged. The ball went straight to Dave Watson who controlled and shot smartly past Grummitt to make it two-nil. It was a goal that Watson's performance deserved and evidenced his skill on the deck as well as in the air.

Billy Hughes, who did everything but score in this game received a pass from Dick Malone and went on a mesmerising solo run, he was eventually bought down but the ball flew to Tueart on the edge of the box, his snapshot pulled another good save out of Grummitt.

Rodrigues was then booked for tripping the lively Tueart, who responded by setting up the third goal for Sunderland and arguably the best goal of the game on seventy-five minutes.

Tueart played a neat one - two with Keith Coleman and raced forward into space before sending over a low cross perfectly weighted for Brian Chambers, who met the ball in his stride and this time thrashed the ball home from the edge of the box. This was a superb goal from start to finish and was received with vociferous acclaim by a now rampant Roker crowd.

Sunderland saw the game out with ease and moved into the next round of the cup where they were drawn away to Cardiff. That tie would go to a third game before it was decided at a neutral venue (Maine Road). I joined 39,348 fans for the first replay a 1-1 draw after extra-time, at Roker Park evidencing back then an appetite for cup football at Roker.

Cardiff were the eventual victors, and our cup campaign concluded for another season. Who could have guessed what the FA Cup had in store for us in 1972/73?

FA Cup (Round 3) — 15/01/1972 — Roker Park — 25,310

Sunderland 3 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday

Goal scorers - Porterfield 35 mins; Watson 60 mins; Chambers 75 mins.

Sunderland - Montgomery; Malone; Coleman; Harvey; Pitt; Kerr; Chambers; Porterfield; Hughes; Watson; Tueart. Sub - McGiven

Sheffield Wednesday - Grummitt; Rodrigues; Clements; Prophet; Holsgrove; Pugh; Sinclair; Craig; Joicey; Sunley; Sissons. Sub - Thompson.