Still no cheer on the Wear for McCarthy

SO, Mick McCarthy still awaits his first Premier League victory at the Stadium of Light.

Quite how his Wolverhampton Wanderers side contrived to lose this close contest by a three-goal margin was beyond most rational observers, but it was perhaps an injustice which summed up the former Republic of Ireland international’s roller-coaster three-year Wearside reign, during which he was unable to oversee a three-point haul on home soil in the top flight, the fact of which he does not like to be reminded.

Steve Bruce was almost embarrassed to take the plaudits after a three-goal burst in the final 20 minutes halted a stirring Wolves fight-back to put a flattering slant on the scoreline for the hosts, who appeared to be cruising to victory thanks to penalties at the start of each half from Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones – both earned by the England striker.

The visitors struck back to level 10 minutes after the break before their late collapse.

“When their manager says it’s a harsh scoreline on us then that says it all,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy chose an unusual turn of phrase to describe the sense of pride his side’s display had nevertheless given him, and he added: “I don’t know where the swing-o-meter is from being pleased to frustrated, but it would have been swinging so much from side to side that it would have been pushed to breaking point.

“Their third goal was the turning point, because at 2-2 we had the game by the scruff of the neck, but then we got stretched so I thought 5-2 was a very harsh in the extreme and I think Steve Bruce agrees.”

Bent’s early penalty aside – awarded for a foul by Segundo Castillo – the first 45 minutes gave little indication as to the mayhem that lay ahead after the break.

Sunderland’s top scorer then handed their second penalty – Christophe Berra the guilty defender on this occasion – to strike-partner Kenwyne Jones. The Trinidad & Tobago striker made no mistake to double the lead, but that cut little ice with a clearly annoyed Bruce, who refuses to watch spot kicks for reasons of superstition.

The manager later tore into his striker for his decision to hand over duties, although the majority of the fans inside the Stadium of Light were not complaining.

Within seven minutes of Jones’ penalty, Wolves, improbably, were level. The fight-back started as John Mensah deflected the ball into his own net on his full Premier League debut after Craig Gordon saved from Berra.

It got even crazier when the visitors were then awarded a free-kick six yards out as Gordon was forced to handle Kieran Richardson’s nightmare back-pass to prevent a calamitous own goal.

Karl Henry’s first shot was blocked, but the rebound fell just right for the lurking Kevin Doyle, who walloped home from five yards to turn the match on its head.

When Richardson headed off the line from Greg Halford, if anything, Wolves looked the more capable of going on to complete a stunning come from behind win, until Sunderland’s late burst earned them victory.

Jones pounced on some sloppy defending to fire Sunderland back in front with a low 20-yard effort on 70 minutes, before defender Michael Turner’s towering header from Andy Reid’s inviting corner sealed the points three minutes later.

There was still time for a fifth in injury-time as Bent’s close-range effort found the net courtesy of a hefty deflection off Michael Mancienne.

Bruce admitted he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after a display he claimed would have sent him prematurely grey had he not already gone for the silver fox look. “How do you make sense of a game like that? It was crazy.

“It was a bit unreal and difficult to make sense of it. We’ve got a cutting edge up front, but we need to do better and we need to improve to meet the expectation that we have on us now.

“We’ve got 12 points from seven games and that’s a decent start, but I’m not feeling like we’ve scored five, because there are mistakes and we have to do the basics right.”

REFEREE: Lee Mason (Lancashire) 6: Two crucial first-half penalty decisions – one given to Sunderland, one denied Wolves – both debatable, though Sunderland’s second was more clear-cut.

MATCH RATING: **** Goals always make for compelling viewing and Wolves’ abortive comeback from two goals down added to the entertainment factor.