Sunderland 2 – 2 West Ham

This Football Scores Live Report Is Taken From Syndicated Services. Live Football Scores UK Reproduced Article

Ten-man Sunderland came back from two goals down to earn a draw with West Ham, who also had a man sent off.

Guillermo Franco turned in Jack Collison’s cross to put the Hammers ahead, before Carlton Cole collected a Collison pass and doubled their lead.

An Andy Reid free-kick pulled a goal back before Sunderland’s Kenwyne Jones saw red for pushing Herita Ilunga.

Kieran Richardson bundled home the Sunderland equaliser before West Ham’s Robert Kovac was dismissed late on.

The result brings to an end Sunderland’s run of four successive home victories but the visitors will have cause to feel this was a game they should have won.

Unsurprisingly, the home side looked the more assured side early on and they should have been ahead after five minutes but Darren Bent’s stretching header from a Lorik Cana cross drifted past the far post.

The organisation and occasional enterprise shown by West Ham belied their lowly league position and it was no surprise when they took the lead.

Collison broke the offside trap down the right and with the Sunderland defenders scrambling back to cover, his cross was inch perfect for Franco to side-foot his first Hammers goal.

This Football Scores Live Report Is Taken From Syndicated Services. Live Football Scores UK Reproduced Article

Minutes later, Sunderland were again indebted to their goalkeeper for keeping the deficit to one as Cole muscled himself the opportunity to swivel and shoot goalwards, forcing Gordon into a smart parry.

In the 36th minute West Ham extended their lead and again Collison was key, winning the ball and driving towards the Sunderland box before feeding Cole, who took the ball in his stride and slotted in.

Looking firmly in control, the fallibility that has so far afflicted West Ham’s season came to the fore, giving Sunderland a route back into the match.

Steed Malbranque was needlessly fouled by Kovac on the edge of the box and from the resulting free-kick, Reid flighted the ball over the wall and in to the top left-hand corner of Robert Green’s goal.

Sunderland’s hopes of a comeback were dealt a blow though just before half-time when striker Jones was shown a straight red by referee Andre Mariner for pushing over Ilunga after the two had clashed in an aerial challenge.

Sunderland’s numerical disadvantage invariably gave West Ham chances to extend their lead in the second half, none of which they took.

Early on, Gordon saved superbly from a Franco near-post header from a corner and Cole failed to hit the target when well placed.

However, for much of the half it was Sunderland who looked like they had the extra man as they applied themselves to their task with vigour.

Michael Turner’s powerful header from a corner was superbly saved one-handed by Green and moments later Bent fired over after turning inside James Tomkins.

This Football Scores Live Report Is Taken From Syndicated Services. Live Football Scores UK Reproduced Article

When Green was not holding Sunderland at bay, the woodwork proved an effective understudy.

In one attack, the home side twice struck the bar with headers; the first from Cana, the second a follow-up effort from Paulo da Silva.

Sunderland refused to be denied, though, and with 10 minutes to go Bent found space on the right, his cross cleared Green via a deflection and Richardson was able to slide the ball in at the far post.

With three minutes remaining, Kovac earned himself his second yellow with a late tackle on Bent to even up the numbers on the pitch.

West Ham Manager Gianfranco Zola suggested last week’s comeback against Arsenal to earn a 2-2 draw was like a win.

This, however, will feel like a point gained as Sunderland’s second-half performance failed to yield the result it deserved.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce:

“Kenwyne’s wrong, he’s pushed him but is there any need for Ilunga to go down like he does?

“Referees have a difficult job but I think players have to look at themselves.

“Some of the stuff we played in the second half was terrific, you’d think West Ham had the ten men.”

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola:

“I’m not happy at all. We were in control of the game and I didn’t expect them to come back.

“The way we play sometimes is very impressive but we need to be more mature.

“I was disappointed with Kovac’s sending off because he didn’t see Darren Bent.”

This Football Scores Live Report Is Taken From Syndicated Services. Live Football Scores UK Reproduced Article

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