Sunderland 2 Southampton 1: Bardsley comes in from the cold to give Black Cats a timely boost
Gus Poyet can look forward to a showdown against Jose Mourinho and former club Chelsea in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals after his Sunderland side pulled off a shock win at the Stadium of Light.
It will be the first time as a manager that the Sunderland boss has faced his former club, and it came courtesy of Phil Bardsley, the full back frozen out by former manager Paolo Di Canio.
Bardsley put them on the way to the last eight for the first time since 2000 with the opening goal. His last goal was against Southampton in May, just before he was pictured on the floor of a casino covered by £50 notes. Di Canio took such a dim view of it that Bardsley was ostracised. The pair’s relationship deteriorated so much that, when Sunderland lost to Fulham on the opening day of the season, Bardsley could not hide his joy.
Sunderland fans, naturally enough, didn’t like that. So when the full back bundled the ball past Kelvin Davis last night for the opening goal after the former Black Cats keeper had spilled Jozy Altidore’s header from a 59th-minute free-kick, some fans even booed as Bardsley was mobbed by delighted team-mates.
Poyet, who restored Bardsley to the side, hopes the goal will help repair the damage from a difficult six months. The Sunderland boss said: ‘I’m very happy for Phil. I’m sure he will be happy and it will give him plenty of confidence.
‘I don’t think it was a risk recalling him when I did. As soon as I arrived and saw him training I saw how important he could be.’ Sunderland deserved the lead and substitute Seb Larsson buried a second after 86 minutes following an Altidore pass.
Southampton replied seconds later, Maya Yoshida scoring with a firm header from Jos Hooiveld’s delivery. But Poyet, who made seven changes to the side which lost at Hull on Saturday, bring in summer signings Vito Mannone, Ki-sung Yeung, Altidore, Ondrej Celustka and Emanuele Giaccherini, was not to be denied his showdown with Chelsea. When Sunderland got to the League Cup final in 1985, they beat Chelsea in the semi-final and on the run to their last major final, in the 1992 FA Cup, they triumphed over the west London side in the last eight.
Southampton assistant manager Jesus Perez said: ‘We are disappointed to go out but it was important to bring in the young players.
‘They are learning and it is important for them to play in stadiums like this. It was a tough game for them.’
—Daily Mail
