The second leg of the semifinal of the Football League One playoff between Portsmouth and Sunderland ended in a stalemate, helping the latter move into the final with an aggregate score of 0-1 over the two legs. It was a lacklustre affair, to say the least, with an accumulated count of five shots on target including both the sides. However, the Black Cats managed to have the last laugh as they progress to the final of the Football League One trophy.
There is nothing much to talk about the match as it was a roughly contested fixture upon which the future of both the clubs was hanging by a thread. The referee showed a total of six yellow cards throughout the match. Portsmouth looked like the dominant side with a total of 13 shots out of which four were on target. The Black Cats would be happy that they had taken the lead in the first leg by a single goal and somehow managed to maintain it to go through to the final.
Here is how the Sunderland players were rated from their win against Portsmouth.
Jon McLaughlin: 6.5
Made some regulation saves throughout the match. Looked a little tired towards the end of the game.
Luke O’Nien: 7
Went up and down the pitch with a brisk pace and delivered some decent crosses as well. His backtracking was spot on.
Alim Öztürk: 6
His physical presence in the backline was well dealt with by the likes of Hawkins and Pitman. His tackles and interceptions were spot on though.
Tom Flanagan: 6.5
Kept the opposition strikers quiet for most of the match. Made some excellent clearances to keep his side out of harm’s way.
Bryan Oviedo: 6
Tried his best to restrict the opposition from taking advantage in the box. Looked a little fatigued towards the end of the match.
Lee Cattermole: 7
He played like the great competitor he is and kept his cool in the middle of the pitch. An outstanding performance from the veteran.
Grant Leadbitter: 6.5
Struck a brilliant partnership with Cattermole. Kept breaking down the opposition attacks in the heart of the pitch with his timely interceptions.
Max Power: 6
Looked like the only weak link in midfield as the opposition took advantage of his unfortunate passing. His physicality to vie for the ball was delightful though.
George Honeyman: 6
Kept getting into the channels with his pace but could not deliver the end product. Looked a little fatigued towards the end of the match.
Chris Maguire: 7
He looked at the top of his game and made a mark with his pace and prowess. Kept deceiving the opposition defenders with his classy footwork.
Charlie Wyke: 5.5
Nothing special from the striker as he was kept in control by the Portsmouth defence for most of the match. Was substituted in the second half.
Substitutes
Lynden Gooch: 5
Could not do much in the face of stern resistance from the opposition defenders. Looked a little subdued throughout the match.
Lewis Morgan: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
Will Grigg: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
