26/05/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | MAY 26, 2025

30

Ű BY DAMIAN SPELLMAN

‘I dreamt of coming on to fire Black Cats’

TEENAGER Tommy Watson has revealed he dreamt of coming off the bench to fire Sunderland into the Premier League. The 19-year-old substitute, who was making his final appearance for the Black Cats at Wembley before joining Brighton, scored the decisive goal five minutes into stoppage-time to seal a 2-1 comeback win over Sheffield United. Asked afterwards if he had sensed an opportunity to establish himself as a hero as he came off the bench, Watson told Sky Sports : “A hundred per cent. I’ve been thinking of it for weeks.

dramatic fashion. He said: “I think my celebration said it all. I can’t really put it into words, to be honest. Just look around, it’s unbelievable.” Asked about his impending departure, Watson added: “We’ll see each other in the Premier League next year in the big time.” For defender Luke O’Nien, it proved a bitter sweet day as he lasted just eight minutes after dislocating a shoulder.

“That story was written when I came off the bench and I couldn’t have pictured it any better, to be honest. I got closed down and I saw a little gap and I just used the defender and (put it) straight in the bottom corner.” Watson’s strike, which came after Eliezer Mayenda had cancelled out Tyrese Campbell’s first half opener with 14 minutes remaining, sent the Sunderland faithful into raptures as the club’s eight year exile from the top flight drew to a close in

Interviewed on the pitch afterwards with his right arm in a sling, he said:“I don’t know why you guys are interviewing me, although it’s probably my best game in a Sunderland shirt since I joined the club. “Do you know what? I’m so proud of these boys, I’m so proud. I can’t really believe what I’ve just seen. I’m just unbelievably proud.” O’Nien is a veteran of the club’s four-season spell in League One, but was a helpless bystander as his teammates kept his dream alive. Reacting to the suggestion he is now a Sunderland great, he said: “No, I haven’t. Those boys, Tommy Watson, Sunderland legends. “Those boys over there celebrating are Sunderland legends, I’m just delighted to play a part in this happiness.” The Independent

Sunderland’s Luke O’Nien centre) lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Championship playoff final. – REUTERSPIC

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Comeback kings Watson’s late strike lifts Sunderland into Premier League

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S UNDERLAND clinched promotion to the Premier League after an eight year absence as Tommy Watson’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dra matic 2-1 win against Sheffield United in the Championship playoff final yesterday. Regis Le Bris’ side trailed to Tyrese Campbell’s first-half goal at Wembley, but Eliezer Mayenda equalised in the closing stages before Watson delivered the priceless last-gasp winner. It was an astonishing twist to the single richest match in world football as Sunderland recovered from a sluggish start to hit the jackpot with a promotion worth an estimated £200 million (RM1.1b) in increased revenue. Watson’s champagne moment ensured Sunderland fans can look forward to renewing hostilities with bitter rivals Newcastle next season. Sunderland’s return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 comes after a dark period that included a four season spell in the third tier. The Black Cats suffered five successive defeats coming into the playoffs, but they dug deep to reach the top-flight in the most remarkable style. With a penalty shoot-out just seconds away, Dan Ballard’s last-gasp extra-time header sealed a 3-2 aggregate success in the semifinal second leg against Coventry. They looked down and out again with only 14 minutes left at Wembley before the stunning denouement. Promotion completed an impressive rise for Le Bris, a 49-year-old Frenchman who arrived at the Stadium of Light last year after suffering relegation from Ligue 1 with Lorient. The head coach admitted it was “impossible to predict” Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League when he took over last year. “It was impossible to predict,” said Le Bris. “They played fantastic football sometimes (last season). “Against Southampton they won 5-0, so

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it was clear that it was possible to play very good football and to be efficient and very dominant. “But at the same time, they were so inconstant, so my job was to give the methodology to bring this consistency.” It had looked unlikely for much of the match during which the Blades had the better of Le Bris’ side, taking the lead midway through the first half through Campbell’s wonderful clipped finish. A contentious VAR call denied Chris Wilder’s team the goal that would have put them two ahead and cruising back to the Premier League, from which they were relegated in last place a year ago. Harrison Burrows’ strike was ruled out with his teammate Vinicius Sousa judged to have interfered with the view of goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. It gave Sunderland a lifeline that they duly clung on to haul themselves out of the Championship, first Mayenda rifled the ball unto the roof of the goal to level before Watson wrote himself into Wearside folklore with his final action for the club before departing for Brighton. Le Bris added: “We need talented players, we need strong connections between them. I think they deserve this. “They worked so well together. This game is a good example of the season.” Le Bris added that he had no doubt in including Durham-born Watson in his squad and throwing him on with 17 minutes to play at Wembley, despite him having agreed a move to the Amex last month. “It was clear in our mind and in his mind that he is still a Sunderland player and the squad accepted this decision as well, knowing that he’s a good player and he can help,” he said. – AFP/The Independent

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