Honours Even In Tees-Wear Derby
Sunderland and Middlesbrough remain in contention for the play-off places in the EFL Championship after the Vertu Motors-backed duo shared the points in the latest Tees-Wear derby.
'Boro were seeking to do the double over the Black Cats after a thumping 4-0 win at the Stadium of Light back in October but it would prove to be a much tighter affair as the two sides looked to fight their way into the top six.
Sunderland should arguably have taken the lead in the first half when Jack Clarke elected to pass the ball when well-placed to take a shot on goal himself and it looked like Marcus Forss would make them pay when he fired Middlesbrough into the lead just after the hour mark.
A shot from outside the box was deflected into his path, with Finn smashing a half-volley beyond Antony Patterson and into the corner.
Sunderland weren’t prepared to give up however, and when Clarke played an angled ball out to Nazariy Rusyn on the right hand side of the box, he fired in a dipping shot that bounced right in front of ‘Boro ‘keeper Tom Glover before nestling into the net.
With neither side able to fashion a winning goal, the points were shared to leave Sunderland a point outside the play-off placed in eighth, with ‘Boro three points further back in twelfth.
Next up for Middlebrough is a home game against Bristol City, with Sunderland welcoming Plymouth to the Stadium of Light.