Match Report
On the table this was a mismatch: Sunderland (4th, 77 pts) held a 32-point advantage over Northampton Town (22nd, 45 pts). Sunderland ranked just 14th in the league on five-round form despite their 4th table position. Scoring rates set the scale: Sunderland 1.52 scored and 0.91 conceded per game, Northampton Town 0.89 and 1.46, with the league averaging 1.31.
The venue was Stadium of Light in Sunderland, with room for 49,000 spectators. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 1-1.