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On This Day (28 April 1979): Cardiff Crash Sunderlandâs Promotion Party
TL;DR
On April 28, 1979, Sunderland faced Cardiff City at Roker Park, losing 1-2 despite having a chance to secure promotion. The match was attended by a season-high crowd of 36,526, marking a disappointing turn for Sunderland after a recent victory.
Key points
- Sunderland lost 1-2 to Cardiff City on April 28, 1979
- The match took place at Roker Park
- Attendance was 36,526, the biggest crowd of the season
- Sunderland was aiming for promotion after a recent win
- Manager Billy Elliott expressed confidence before the match
Mentioned in this story
Billy Elliott
SunderlandCardiff City
Sunderland had thumped Sheffield United just three days earlier â amid a barnstorming finish and with a hat-trick from Wilf Rostron â to go top of the division.
Steady nerves and composure were all that was needed to clinch promotion in their last two games but unfortunately, no one told Cardiff City that this was supposed to be a Sunderland carnival as the Lads went down 1-2 at Roker Park, in front of an expectant and biggest crowd of the season of 36,526.
Three days earlier, manager Billy Elliott had said that they needed to be âlocked up if they threw promotion away from this situationâ â and throw it away they did.
Soccer - Football League Division Two - Sunderland Photocall - Roker Park
The Lads were at it right from the start, but it was a high-speed, headless chicken-type of approach that involved launching crosses into the box that were too high for the attackers and meat and drink for City goalkeeper Ron Healey and commanding centre back Phil Dwyer.
It was all too frantic and that was the pattern throughout the game, with Cardiff reduced to a few sporadic attacks, but Sunderland not composed enough at the other end.
I suppose the pressure and the smell of promotion got to the team, and despite being in pole position and having been one of the highest-scoring teams in the league, today (and the season) wasnât to be.
Their record signing Ronnie Moore had a couple of chances on the break, with Steve Whitworth blocking one, and Barry Siddall tipping another over the bar for their only corner of the half. But on the twenty sixth minute, it was third time lucky as he shrugged off a challenge from Shaun Elliott to move smoothly into the area and beat Siddall from twelve yards.
It was a clinical finish compared to the hectic stuff at the other end and Healey had plenty to do, with ten corners alone in the first half, but he was rarely in real trouble. The Welsh team camped unashamedly on the edge of their own box, frustrating Sunderland and if anything, making them even more frantic.
Q&A
What happened in the Sunderland vs Cardiff City match on April 28, 1979?
Sunderland lost 1-2 to Cardiff City at Roker Park, missing a chance to secure promotion.
How many people attended the Sunderland vs Cardiff City match?
The match had an attendance of 36,526, the largest crowd of the season for Sunderland.
Who was the manager of Sunderland during the April 28, 1979 match?
Billy Elliott was the manager of Sunderland during the match against Cardiff City.
What was Sunderland's situation before the match against Cardiff City?
Sunderland was at the top of the division after a recent victory over Sheffield United and needed to secure promotion.
