Sunderland 1 Middlesbrough 1: AFTER AN unwanted, near 18-month sabbatical involving two major knee operations Fraizer Campbell must have felt in danger of turning into Sunderland's forgotten striker. But making his long-awaited comeback as a second-half substitute, Campbell delighted in jogging a few memories by scoring the equaliser which maintains Martin O'Neill's interest in the FA Cup until at least a replay at the Riverside tomorrow week.
After watching his side make an uncomfortably slow, jarringly disjointed start O’Neill was simply relieved not to have been eliminated by Championship opposition.
“I’m delighted we’re still in the cup,” he said. “We played very sloppily at first but we showed a lot more urgency in the second half and I’m really, really delighted for Fraizer. Everyone is. His goal was his first or second touch of the game and he took it brilliantly.”
Following the scrappiest of starts a Middlesbrough team destined to grow in assurance had barely threatened Simon Mignolet’s goal before they took the lead after ruffling John O’Shea. Faris Haroun crossed from the right and the former Manchester United defender struggled to cope. From O’Shea’s second attempt at heading clear the ball travelled only as far as Barry Robson, whose sublime left-foot volley bounced tantalisingly in front of Mignolet before hitting the back of the net.
O’Neill – who confirmed he is interested in signing Kevin Davies, the Bolton Wanderers striker – replaced Connor Wickham with Campbell at the interval. It was an emotional moment for Campbell, finally making his first-team return following two cruciate ligament surgeries on the same knee.
Within minutes it had turned into the sort of comeback he must have dreamed of. When Robson’s slapdash pass was intercepted by Republic of Ireland international James McClean, the increasingly impressive left-winger counter-attacked with alacrity before slipping the forward a beautifully weighted delivery. With his first, wholly assured and supremely accomplished touch Campbell shot low into the bottom corner.
Guardian Service
