Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Sunderland and Blackpool at the Stadium of Light as the Black Cats and the Tangerines played out a goalless draw on Tuesday night.
Tuesday 4 October 2022 23:05, UK
Sunderland and Blackpool played out a 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light as the home side missed the chance to climb back into the Sky Bet Championship play-off places.
The strikerless Black Cats drew a blank for the second home game in a row, while Blackpool ended a three-match losing run.
Sunderland took the game to the Tangerines from the off and provided them with an early scare when Jack Clarke's driving run from the left created space for Elliot Embleton inside the box - his bending shot on the turn clipped the top of the crossbar.
Michael Appleton's Blackpool hit back when Gary Madine nodded down from a long free-kick into the box. Callum Connolly controlled and got a shot away but the ball whizzed agonisingly wide of the post.
Just before the half hour mark, Sunderland resumed dominance of the game and after a sustained spell of pressure, Chris Maxwell produced a strong save from Clarke's bending 25-yard effort - palming the ball around the post.
Blackpool continued to stave off the threat of the home side by putting their bodies on the line as Jordan Thorniley blocked successive shots from Amad Diallo and Patrick Roberts just inside the box.
Tony Mowbray's men ended the half with further chances they could not put away as Alex Pritchard bent his free-kick from the edge of the box over the bar whilst Clarke's darting run and bending effort was deflected over the bar in stoppage time.
Blackpool threatened twice from set pieces in the opening 10 minutes of the second half as Connolly's header was palmed away by Patterson before the Sunderland keeper was called into action again to claw Callum Wright's glancing header away from goal.
Moments before the hour mark, Jerry Yates swung a wayward cross from the right which forced Patterson into a save as he tipped the ball over the bar.
Tensions rose on Wearside as Blackpool received a succession of bookings for bringing down Roberts on the counter-attack. However, Embleton could not make the most of the set piece as he bent his shot over the bar, further frustrating the home crowd.
Defender Danny Batth held off a flurry of markers from a corner to head on target from a corner but Maxwell was equal to the danger and held on to the ball.
Blackpool were inches away from breaking the deadlock 10 minutes from time with Connolly's third header of the game crawling just wide of the post from a high cross.
In stoppage time, Maxwell produced an incredible save to keep the game level. Jewison Bennette dinked a cross into the box and Clarke's goalbound header was clawed away - but there was to be no breakthrough.
Sunderland's Tony Mowbray: "The level we want to play at is what you saw first half. Playing the ball forward, driving into space, running beyond, putting the ball in the box. The intensity out of possession to win it back quickly was everything we work on. It looked as if we ran out of legs in the second half. The intensity wasn't there to win the ball out of possession and give us the impetus to do what we can do well.
"You hope the changes spark it up and yet it didn't really tonight. They have in the past when these young lads have come in. mTonight was a difficult night in the last half an hour of the game. It was amazing to see us defending set plays like we did and putting our bodies on the line. You can lose those games 1-0 from a set play and the opportunity is gone. We are frustrated that we didn't score a goal or two in the first half, we'll have to put the point in the bag. It's frustrating because that's twice I've sat here and said that."
Blackpool's Michael Appleton: "First half we were a little bit tentative and showed too much respect. I don't know if that was down to belief but I'd like to think that as a group, we came together at half-time and recognised what was needed. Second half, I thought we were outstanding. At one point we were almost like the home team and I was waiting for the net to bulge, there was that many opportunities.
"The only problem was they were falling to the majority of the defenders or midfield players who are not used to scoring goals. The pleasing thing is we've played Norwich on Saturday and created as many opportunities as we did, played as well as we did, passed the ball as well as we did and were able to back it up in the space of three days by coming here and being more than a match for Sunderland. That was pleasing."
