Skip to main content

Anichebe inspires Sunderland to first win of the season

Victor Anichebe scored a superb equaliser for Sunderland

Victor Anichebe scored a superb equaliser for Sunderland

Nigeria’s international, Victor Anichebe inspired 10-man Sunderland to record their first league win of the season as Jermain Defoe’s second-half penalty handed them victory against Bournemouth.

It was a remarkable result for the Black Cats, who continually soaked up pressure from their opponents and found themselves a man down when Steven Pienaar was sent off in the 59th minute.

The Cherries took an 11th-minute lead when Dan Gosling converted Adam Smith’s cross from close range for his third goal of the season.

The Black Cats lost 4-1 at home to Arsenal last week and once again looked vulnerable at the back, with Junior Stanislas and Joshua King both going close after the opener. But they surprisingly drew level in the 33rd minute when Victor Anichebe smacked his six-yard shot high past the reach of keeper Artur Boruc.

Sunderland began the second half well but were dealt a huge blow when Pienaar was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Stanislas.

Despite being a man down, David Moyes’ side still pressed and were rewarded with a spot-kick when Anichebe was fouled by Adam Smith in the area. Defoe converted against his former team as his current side hung on for a morale-boosting win.

This match looked like a home-win banker, more so after Gosling used his stomach to give Eddie Howe’s side the lead.

The visitors’ defence, which had conceded three against Everton and Palace and four against the Gunners, looked set for another uncomfortable day.

Moyes started with a 4-4-2 formation, but changed to 4-5-1 after going behind to stem the flow of Bournemouth’s attacks from the wings. It worked and gave Sunderland the chance to focus on troubling the home side.

The change in tactic paid off as Defoe, playing deeper, fed Anichebe in the area. The striker used his 6ft 3in physique to hold off his marker, turn and then crack a shot past Pickford to equalise. That was the former Everton player’s first Premier League goal since scoring for West Brom against Newcastle in May 2015 – 546 days ago.

Moyes – watching from the stands as he served a suspension – must have thought the footballing gods were not on his side when Pienaar was deservedly sent off with 31 minutes remaining.

But the spirit that had drawn Sunderland level was again present when they drove forward and Anichebe, once again tussling in the area, fell under the challenge of Smith. Some might have deemed it a weak challenge but Mike Dean pointed to the spot and Defoe dispatched the ball high into Boruc’s net.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...

Fire: UniJos Senate convenes emergency meeting on Monday

Fire at the University of Jos Library University of Jos is to convene an emergency senate meeting on Monday to review the level of damage done to the institution by the Saturday night inferno. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, disclosed this on Sunday after inspecting areas affected by the incident. The fire, which lasted for more than six hours, destroyed the Library Complex that equally houses the faculties of management and social sciences. The fire also destroyed examination scripts, books and very crucial materials. Consequently, the vice-chancellor said “the Senate will meet tomorrow (Monday) to take a decision about the unmarked examination scripts that were burnt.” On the cause of the inferno, Maimako said investigation had commenced, adding that “nothing has been confirmed yet. We are still investigating.” The vice chancellor said the school was already working with federal authorities toward establishing a main fire station since the mini fire station in t...

NDLEA arrests 252 suspects, seizes 3,073 kg Indian hemp

NDLEA operatives The NDLEA in Niger on Monday said that it had arrested 252 suspects and seized 3,073.9 kilogramme of Indian hemp(cannabis sativa) in the state. The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Iweajunwa, who disclosed this in Minna, said that the operations were carried out between January and September. “Our operations in Niger State from January to September 2016 led to the arrest of 252 suspects and seizure of 3,073.997 kilogramme of cannabis sativa,’’ he said. Iweajunwa said that within the period, the agency also seized 1, 530 litres of liquid drugs, especially cough syrup with codeine. He said the NDLEA also counselled and rehabilitated 90 drug addicts in the state within the period under review. The agency, he added, secured convictions of only nine of the suspects because the judge at the Federal High Court, Minna, went on leave. “ Now that the judge has resumed more suspects will be tried,’’ he said. He advised motorists, especially commercial vehicle dri...