Preston North End vs Sunderland. Sky Bet Championship.
DeepdaleAttendance21,177.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston and Sunderland at Deepdale
Monday 8 May 2023 18:33, UK
After a dramatic final day, Sunderland will compete in the Championship play-offs thanks to a superb 3-0 win against Preston, finishing sixth on goal difference.
The Black Cats needed other results to swing their way to stand a chance of reaching the play-offs, and after Tony Mowbray's former side Blackburn beat Millwall 4-3 in a thrilling game at The Den, both Sunderland and Blackburn finished on 69 points.
However, Sunderland secured their spot in the post-season fixtures on goal difference - finishing on +13 to Rovers' -2 - continuing an incredible resurgence, having only been promoted to the Championship via the League One play-offs last season.
If they manage to go up, they will become just the fourth side to achieve back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.
Preston did not make life easy for Sunderland either and, up until Amad Diallo's opening goal in the 54th minute, could easily have been ahead.
But the Manchester United loanee curled home a superb effort to see the Black Cats ahead. This was followed by two more impressive strikes in the 61st and 65th minute from Alex Pritchard and Jack Clarke to fire Mowbray's side into the play-offs.
Sunderland will face Luton, with the first leg at the Stadium of Light getting under way this weekend, live on Sky Sports.
Sunderland travelled to Lancashire unbeaten in eight games and, despite the odds being stacked against them, they sold out the away end with their fans being by far the loudest of both sets of supporters.
However, the electric atmosphere did not seem to transfer onto the pitch, with the Black Cats looking nervy from the off, and Preston took advantage with multiple crosses into the box but without being able to score.
The visitors responded, with a curling shot from the edge of the box from Patrick Roberts heading for the top corner until it was denied by a superb save from Freddie Woodman.
Just before the break, Preston had the best chance of the first period, with striker Liam Delap, on loan from Manchester City, latching onto a through ball and finding himself one-on-one but he was only able to drag his shot wide.
Both sides will have felt they should have been ahead at half-time and could have come to rue their missed chances.
Sunderland came out in the second half with a lot more intensity, knowing they needed to score to have any chance of securing the final play-off berth.
They looked dangerous and eventually took the lead through Manchester United loanee Diallo, who perfectly placed the ball into the top left-hand corner.
It was very much end-to-end from then on and if it had not been for a goal-line clearance, Preston would have equalised from a corner.
The Black Cats eventually doubled their lead with the ball falling for midfielder Pritchard on the edge of the box and he made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
The visiting supporters drowned out every other noise in the ground and it spurred the players on to grab a third, Clarke creating space on the right-hand side and slotting the ball past Woodman.
Sunderland's players remained calm and did all they could to run down the clock, while their fans only became louder as they heard the news of Blackburn's impending victory over Millwall before the full-time whistle sent them into a frenzy.
Preston's Ryan Lowe:
"We've given it a good go but it's not been today or Sheffield United that's cost us the play-offs, it's from games earlier on in the season. I said about mentality, I don't mean they're not giving everything, I mean being savvy and taking the opportunities. We went out all guns blazing and we wanted to have a right good go.
"We fell short by six points but in the grand scheme of things, it's not bad. For us and clubs like us, we need to keep building and I think we're going in the right direction, we just need that little bit extra. We're pleased with what we've tried to do and where we are. The effort of the players and the staff, they've been excellent.
"I want to bring the good times back to this club. We are slowly but surely trying to get there, but our aim is to do what Sunderland have done today and get into those play-offs."
Sunderland head coach Tony Mowbray:
"You know me, I don't get too high or too low. I'm just pleased for the supporters; it's an army and they drive us on every single week. Working with this young group of players is amazing, so how can you not enjoy coming into training every day when there are so many young, enthusiastic, talented footballers? I am just trying to show them the way and they want to go on a journey.
"I'm delighted, happy for everybody associated with the club, but the job's not done. We've got some massive games. We've seen some injuries today, too. Dennis Cirkin came off at half-time, Goochy [Lynden Gooch] had to come off, so I don't know what team we'll be able to field on Saturday.
"But we are good with the ball and we can score great goals because we've got really good attacking players. However we play, we'll give them a game and we look forward to it. Luton have had an amazing season. It's so difficult to go to Luton's ground and try and get a result.
"I told the staff I didn't want to know (what was going on elsewhere). We had to win our football match, so don't distract me by telling me to do this and do that. We kept pushing on after we'd scored one and two, controlled the game in the last half an hour or so. We've got to get back to work tomorrow now. The Stadium of Light is going to be amazing and the roof will come off if we can get a positive result."
Semi-final first legs
Saturday May 13, 5.30pm - Sunderland vs Luton
Sunday May 14, 12pm - Coventry vs Middlesbrough
Semi-final second legs
Tuesday May 16, 8pm - Luton vs Sunderland
Wednesday May 17, 8pm - Middlesbrough vs Coventry
Final
Saturday May 27, 4.45pm - Luton or Sunderland vs Middlesbrough or Coventry
Each match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football, while there will be full digital coverage and free in-game clips on skysports.com.
