SOCCER/S'land 2; Crystal Palace 1: (Agg: 4-4, Palace win 5-4 on pens) Michael Hughes scored with the 14th penalty of the night to send Crystal Palace into the play-off final of the English First Division at the expense of Mick McCarthy's Sunderland last night, writes Michael Walker at the Stadium of Light
An equaliser in the first period of injury time from Darren Powell had forced Sunderland into extra-time after first half-goals from Kevin Kyle and Marcus Stewart had put the Wearside club within seconds of the Premiership.
During the opening 10 minutes of the match the ground reverberated to the sound of red and blue balloons being burst. These were carried north by Palace fans and in those first exchanges the Londoners should have pricked the noisy anticipation that wrapped Wearside.
Mart Poom, culpable at Selhurst Park on Friday night, went some way to atoning for errors then with a swift dash across his line to thwart Julian Gray from six yards after Michael Hughes had swerved out of midfield and past Gary Breen.
Less than three minutes had gone and Sunderland looked worried. Three more and they should definitely have been two down on aggregate.
When Danny Granville swept in a cross from the left touchline Aki Riihilahti climbed high and, more significantly, alone. Riihilahti's header was clean but it came back off the upright.
Palace should have been two up, but they were not dismayed by their missed chances. Sharper on the ball and quicker to close down, their superiority was personified by the intelligent Hughes.
Sunderland have high hopes of an Irishman of their own, Sean Thornton. But he was well off the pace of such a helter-skelter affair, yet saw more of the ball than almost any other Sunderland player in the first half.
Finally, in the 42nd minute, Thornton made a pass count. It was a short one to Jason McAteer, hitherto bogged down in midfield scuffling. McAteer looked up and threw a centre towards Kyle.
Kyle is not always graceful, but he pulled away from Tony Popovic, chested the ball down and lashed an unstoppable low drive through Nico Vaesen.
Having been so comfortable, Palace were suddenly drawing this play-off.
Before half-time they would be losing it.
There were two minutes of injury time and the second allowed McAteer and Thornton to combine again. Wide on the right, McAteer sent in another useful cross. Meeting it at the near post and taking everyone by surprise, including Vaesen, Stewart smacked in a meaty header.
Iain Dowie's teamtalk was now the opposite of what it would have been.
But Sunderland had found some confidence and the big home crowd had rediscovered its voice.
However, the Eagles possess poise and they regained their passing rhythm. They were soon dominant again and Dowie showed his adventure with the replacement of full-back Danny Butterfield with striker Dougie Freedman.
The Londoners were starting to lose their composure despite enjoying the possession, knowing that their chances were receding with every minute. Their frustration looked to have cost them dear when Gray was sent off for a second bookable offence after hacking down McAteer.
SUNDERLAND: Poom, McCartney, Breen, Babb, Bjorklund (Williams 105), Oster, Whitley, McAteer, Thornton (Robinson 69), Kyle, Stewart (Tommy Smith 84). Subs Not Used: Clark, Myhre. Booked: Oster, Kyle, Robinson, McAteer. Goals: Kyle 42, Stewart 45.
CRYSTAL PALACE: Vaesen, Granville (Powell 72), Leigertwood, Popovic, Butterfield (Freedman 61), Gray, Hughes, Riihilahti (Derry 58), Routledge, Shipperley, Johnson. Subs Not Used: Berthelin, Black. Sent Off: Gray (86). Booked: Gray, Derry, Popovic, Hughes, Shipperley. Goals: Powell 90.
Referee: D Pugh (Merseyside).
