Sunderland suffer another defeat under Michael Beale, this time to play-off rivals Hull City, leaving the former QPR and Rangers boss under pressure on Wearside. Daniel Wales reports from the Stadium of Light.
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00:00 There would be no FA Cup moments like this for Sunderland this season, as they were defeated
00:07 by rivals Newcastle United last time out at the Stadium of Light. The recent Weartime
00:12 derby was a day to forget for all those of a red and white persuasion. Following that,
00:18 a loss at High Flying Ipswich had not helped the mood on Wearside. There was an air of
00:24 trepidation in the home support in the hours leading up to kick-off, although on this occasion,
00:29 the Black Cats bar was distinctly more red and white than it had been at the start of
00:35 the month. The nearby horns frequented by the Sunderland faithful were doing their best
00:40 to ready the crowd on a bitterly cold night in the North East. For the visiting Hull fans,
00:46 they were hoping to see their side exact some revenge following Sunderland's 1-0 win on
00:52 Humberside on Boxing Day. As the time drew nearer to kick-off, the numbers circulating
00:57 around the stadium increased, with the red and white growing ever more prominent. Through
01:03 the turnstiles and on the pitch, Sunderland's strikeforce have struggled to score this season,
01:09 how they could do with a name such as Niall Quinn to lead their line. Kick-off had arrived,
01:16 would Sunderland walk into the light and reignite their season, or would Hull chill the air
01:21 even further? It was not set up to be a classic, but for Michael Beale, three points here,
01:27 would go a long way to helping establish himself as the right man for the job at Sunderland.
01:33 Anything less than that, and pressure would already be mounting on the former Rangers
01:38 and QPR boss.
01:41 It turned out to be an evening to forget at the Stadium of Light. Neither side exhibited
01:45 cutting edge or a killer instinct, especially in the first half. The opening period's only
01:50 moments of quality came just before the 30 minute mark, when Hull captain, Louis Coyle,
01:55 charged forward from full-back, playing quick, interchanging passes as he approached the
02:00 box to create an opening which he should have done better from. Instead, his tame effort
02:07 was easily held onto by Anthony Patterson.
02:11 Halftime came and went, with the second period hardly being an improvement on the first.
02:17 The home side had more of the ball but did little with it. Possession does not win football
02:22 matches as Sunderland would soon find out. With just under 20 minutes to go, the second
02:28 half's only moment of inspiration saw Liverpool loanee, Fabio Corvallos' deflected volley
02:34 nestle in the net, sparking the Hull fans into raptures. As the game entered stoppage
02:39 time, Sunderland did apply some pressure, however that came in the shape of several
02:44 corners and ultimately came to nothing.
02:48 Boo's rang out as the final whistle sounded, along with chants directed towards Bale himself.
02:54 A month is a long time in football, and the Sunderland supporters certainly made their
02:59 frustrations of their side's spiral in the last few weeks abundantly clear.
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