Parkinson pleased to see late gamble pay off as Sunderland edge past Ipswich

Posted Sunday, February 09, 2020 by PA

Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson was pleased to see his late striker gamble pay dividends as the Black Cats returned to the League One play-off places with a 1-0 win over Ipswich.

With his side heading towards a goalless draw that would have done little to help the prospective promotion hopes of either club, Parkinson introduced Kyle Lafferty for the final 11 minutes to provide an extra man up front.

And rather than see Ipswich capitalise on the extra space elsewhere on the field – wing-back Denver Hume was the man to make way – Sunderland netted what would prove to be the winner through Chris Maguire just two minutes later.

Charlie Wyke’s little pass got a nick off the experienced Lafferty and rolled kindly for Maguire to power home his 11th goal of the season from the edge of the area.

Parkinson said: “It was a difficult call because I felt the shape of the team was working well, we were causing them a lot of problems and we looked like the team that was going to win it.

“I felt with 12 minutes to go, Laff’s physicality with Wyke, I just felt would give them something else to think about.

“Sometimes those decisions work for you and sometimes they don’t. Against a tired team, to throw someone with Laff’s physicality at the top end of the pitch is a great weapon to have from the bench.”

Maguire’s match-winning strike lifted Sunderland up to sixth and knocked Ipswich down to seventh on goal difference, and it arrived towards the end of a second half which saw the hosts create numerous chances without scoring.

Lynden Gooch, after a mazy run, and Bailey Wright, from Hume’s cross, had both hit the woodwork during that period and Wyke had wasted a fantastic rebound chance from the former’s initial effort.

Parkinson added: “They are a good team Ipswich, we knew they would come with some response to a heavy defeat at home, and they started quick, we were slow and we spoke about it at half-time.

“We wanted to speed it up, get Ipswich on the back foot, play with more forward momentum and we felt there would be only one winner. Eventually the goal came.

“It was a tremendous finish from Chris, he has the calmness you need and that quality in those areas, he is tremendous in those situations and what you need to separate tight games.

“I am pleased the chance has fallen to him. He is clinical in those areas.”

Ipswich felt they should have had a penalty soon after Maguire broke the deadlock, when Sunderland goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin left Emyr Huws floored in the area when he punched clear.

The Tractor Boys, who have now slipped out of the play-off zone for the first time since August after losing for the third game in a row, also had the better of the first half with striker Will Keane going the closest.

Ipswich boss Paul Lambert said: “We were excellent first half, should have been a couple up. Sunderland came back stronger second half.

“We rode our luck with the crossbar, I thought it was a penalty, anywhere else on the pitch it would have been a free-kick.

“We had the chances to do it. It’s the first time we have not been in the top six since August, maybe that will help us now.

“The pressure is more relaxed, if we play like that we will win more than we lose. We had so much control in the first half but you have to score, take your chances.

“Maybe you have to give Sunderland credit. We were winning games, it doesn’t matter how but we were, now we become the hunter, there is a long way to go, 16 games to go.”