Stephane Sessegnon scored Sunderland’s extra-time winner to secure a memorable FA Cup with Budweiser triumph in this Tees-Wear Fourth Round derby clash. Sunderland will now host Arsenal in a Fifth Round tie.
Championship side Middlesbrough gave as good as they got against the Premier League’s form team and pushed Martin O’Neill’s men all the way after coming back from a goal down.
Overall, Sunderland were probably good value for their win, however, and seemed set for victory after Jack Colback gave them the lead shortly before half-time with a great striker from the edge of the penalty area in the 42nd minute.
Middlesbrough bounced back, though, and equalised in impressive fashion in the 57th minute through Lukas Jutkiewicz. Curtis Main got the assist with a superb header to Jutkiewicz, who found the space to finish strongly past Mignolet with a headed effort of his own.
O’Neill said:
“Middlesbrough did very well, but I felt we were better and I am delighted we won the game.
It was a fantastic effort and how many times have I said that in the last two months or so? It was a fantastic Cup tie.”
O’Neill was right as the Riverside rocked to a cracking soundtrack of two sets of passionate fans as the match went into extra-time.
But it was as good as over once Sessegnon struck in the 113th minute. The Benin international drove strongly into the area and was fortunate when the ball came back to him, allowing him to finish with a first time low right foot shot.
Middlesbrough
Steele, Hines, Hoyte, Bates, Bennett, McMahon, Thomson (Smallwood 69), Rhys Williams, Arca (Reach 78), Main, Jutkiewicz (Emnes 78)
Substitutes not used Ripley, McManus, Ogbeche, Martin
Sunderland
Mignolet, Bardsley, Turner, O’Shea, Richardson, Larsson, Colback, Gardner, McClean, Campbell (Wickham 87), Sessegnon (Meyler 116)
Substitutes not used Westwood, Ji, Elmohamady, Lynch, Reed
Referee Anthony Taylor
Attendance 26,707
