Late Dennis Cirkin header salvages Sunderland a draw at Millwall

Posted Sunday, February 05, 2023 by PA

Dennis Cirkin’s late header earned Sunderland a 1-1 draw at Millwall that kept both teams well in the mix for the Championship’s play-off places.

The Lions, however, will see this as two points dropped as they largely had the better of proceedings at The Den and looked set to lift themselves into the top six thanks to a goal from captain Jake Cooper.

They are up to seventh and just one point behind sixth-placed West Brom, with Sunderland still in the equation, lying ninth and one point further back.

Millwall’s more direct approach led to them having the better of the game’s early chances, with Mason Bennett rolling wide with a first-time effort from George Honeyman’s cut-back.

This came not long after referee Thomas Bramall had waved away loud appeals for a penalty to the hosts after Tom Bradshaw went down under Aji Alese’s challenge.

While Sunderland looked the tidier team in possession, they were finding it difficult to carve out any real opportunities and they were then given a massive let-off at the other end in the 28th minute.

Honeyman, their former player, was first to react after goalkeeper Anthony Patterson fumbled Zian Flemming’s shot to convert from close range, but after the referee had consulted with his assistant, the goal was ruled out.

It was, by quite a distance, the closest either team came to opening the scoring in the first half, with Charlie Cresswell firing over following George Saville’s corner not long before the break.

During half-time, Millwall midfielder Bennett required lengthy treatment on the pitch for what looked like a serious ankle injury.

He was replaced for the second half by debutant Duncan Watmore, another former Sunderland player, who signed for the Lions from Middlesbrough on Tuesday.

The Lions looked much sharper after the break and came close to an opener when Murray Wallace’s header from another Saville corner flicked the top of the bar.

Honeyman then almost hit his old club again just short of the hour mark when his first-time shot from Danny McNamara’s pull-back needed clawing away by Patterson.

But from the resulting corner, once more taken by Saville, Millwall’s pressure told when a scramble inside the area led to Cooper lifting the ball into net via the post.

Sunderland improved after going behind and they had their equaliser with nine minutes left when Cirkin beat Millwall goalkeeper George Long to Alex Pritchard’s free kick and bravely head in.

It proved to be Cirkin’s last act, as he was injured in the act of scoring, but it salvaged a point for the Black Cats that had not looked likely.