On This Day (27th October 1982): Sunderland bite back against the Wolves!
Yesterday at 02:48 AM
Sunderland needed to react strongly when the Midlanders rolled into Roker Park for a league cup clash, and boy, did they do just that!
The opening weeks of 1982/1983 had proven to be very difficult for ambitious Sunderland boss Alan Durban, who was struggling to make a breakthrough in the transfer market and had seen his current players struggling for form.
However, a League Cup round two tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers offered him the chance of a welcome boost, and a hugely positive showing was enough to remind people that things were still moving in the right direction – albeit slowly.
The manager had been putting together an exciting team but was desperate for some additions to throw into the mix.
Keen for new blood but also some experience to help guide the younger members of the group, Durban had made several enquiries but was finding that the household names were out of reach financially. He continued to window shop though, and in between the first and second legs against Wolves, he'd gone to Denmark with his chairman Tom Cowie and director Iain Fraser to do a bit of scouting on a certain Michael Laudrup.
The Dane was already attracting attention from some of Europe's strongest clubs, but he wasn't the only Scandinavian on the radar.
Having drawn 1-1 at Molineux in the first leg, arrangements were made for Swedish international goalkeeper Jan Möller to come in from Toronto Blizzard, but after just a couple of days' training, it was acknowledged that international clearance was going to be too difficult to attain and the deal was scrapped.
It proved to be another frustrating episode for the club's hierarchy, but there was at least some benefit to the speculation.
Results had been poor in the main and we were too close to the Division One relegation zone for comfort, but the threat of being ousted from the starting eleven seemed to improve the levels in training and force a bit of a reaction. The chance of a cup run also seemed to raise hope, with a boost to the coffers representing a nice potential bonus.
On the other hand, the problem with being paired with Wolves was that the second tier high-flyers represented a real banana skin without necessarily being considered as an attractive draw for supporters- an issue made worse when the West Midlanders refused Sunderland's request to change the date for the second leg so that it wouldn't clash with Newcastle United's match against Leeds United.
Expected to require a heavy police presence and put strain on Wearside's public transport systems, the nearby fixture provided another hurdle for a supporter base that was starting to feel unhappy with their lot.
Nevertheless, the wider situation plus the presence still of a relatively healthy attendance meant the Lads had to remain focussed and professional.
Wolves were yet to concede on the road in the league and were expected to offer a stiff test, only to find themselves being blown out of the water by a superb start from the hosts, who had the bit between their teeth and several individuals wanting to remind the boss of their merits.
The visitors weren't helped by their weekend game at Cambridge United being called off due to a waterlogged pitch, as they seemed rusty and unable to react to the pressure.
Goalkeeper John Burridge, who in later years would become familiar to viewers of Tyne Tees Television's Football Show program, had a busy evening despite injuries keeping Durban's first choice centre back pairing of Shaun Elliott and Ian Atkins out of the side.
They often set the tempo of Sunderland's play and got moves going, but replacements Gordon Chisholm and Rob Hindmarch filled the void admirably and provided their own attacking threat from the off.
Chisholm, captain for the evening, scored within two minutes when Gary Rowell backheeled the ball to him and set up a right-foot volley from eight yards out, whilst Hindmarch soon followed suit with an acrobatic header when Jimmy Nicholl put a cross into the box after a partially cleared corner.
Chisholm quickly got another from close range on the rebound as Geoff Palmer blocked a Mick Buckley effort on the line, and it was 4-0 within twenty minutes as a visibly rocking Wolverhampton team crumbled.
A weak back pass left Burridge stranded and Gary Rowell, who'd already scored in the first encounter, was only too happy to accept the gift and tap the ball into the net.
Bizarrely, the score at half time made things look more comfortable than they were, with Chris Turner having to make several excellent saves that not only kept the heavy advantage intact but also sent a message to the management that there was no need to be investing in a new stopper.
Any hopes of an 'Old Gold' fightback after the break were killed off by another error, coming on this occasion from Peter Daniel, who in three years' time would play for the Lads in the final of this very competition.
His initial contribution to the Sunderland milk fund allowed Buckley to seize possession and put the in-form Ally McCoist through for his fifth goal in six games, courtesy of a tidy left-foot finish.
Going through lifted spirits somewhat, but the buzz was short lived.
Handed another unexciting draw in round three, the Black Cats exited the cup at the hands of would-be Wembley conquerors in 1985, Norwich City.
Our league form worsened too, and whilst Durban delivered safety with points to spare as he continued to nurture his budding stars, the job was always providing plenty of challenges for the Welshman.
Wednesday 27 October 1982
Milk Cup round two, second leg
Roker Park
Attendance: 11,091
Sunderland 5 (Chisholm 2', 11, Hindmarch 9', Rowell 16', McCoist 54')
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
Sunderland: Turner, Nicholl, Hindmarch; Chisholm, Munro, Pickering; Buckley, Rowell, Venison (Cooke 77'); McCoist, West
