Sunderland held the power to choose their own destiny heading into the previous Saturday’s match. We had a home match against mid-table Barnsley, two spots above the Division Two relegation zone, and a win would guarantee our survival.But despite holding a 2-0 lead, we managed to lose 2-3, sending the team to its first-ever Football League relegation playoffs. The fifth-placed team from Division Three would play the twentieth-placed team from Division Two in the inaugural year, while the third- and fourth-placed teams from Division Three would play each other in the other semi-final.
This was how Sunderland ended up playing Gillingham over the course of two legs in what would turn out to be one of the most amazing competitions the team had ever participated in, as well as the most significant games they had ever played. We had issues going into the game under interim manager Bob Stokoe, especially at right back. We were still winning games here and there despite some bad form until George Burley, a Lawrie McMenemy recruit, was declared out since March. But when Burley got hurt, the defensive floodgates opened and we finished the season with just one point in seven games, forcing McMenemy to leave in the middle of the night due to lack of a recognized right back.
Then, in an attempt to pull off a miracle, veteran manager and 1973 FA Cup hero Stokoe was appointed by new chairman Bob Murray. The goals were still pouring in even if the teams’ performances had increased and they had gained points. In the seven games he had been in charge of and the eighteen times during the season thus far, winning positions had been thrown away repeatedly. Being a confidence manager, Stokoe preferred for his players to think of themselves as the greatest on the field. Additionally, he had expressed to the media his belief that the team’s issues were psychological and that he planned to “fire up the players as much as he could” prior to the game.
Stokoe had been starting midfielder Steve Doyle at right back due to an injury crisis, but for this match he started central defender Gary Bennett in the tricky position. He partnered the inexperienced David Corner in the center with Steve Hetzke, whom he had contemplated benching following the Barnsley fiasco. Alan Kennedy was playing left defense for Sunderland, but he had never brought his Liverpool talent to the team. Stokoe was hoping that Corner would be more adept at stopping Gillingham’s quick assault, which included a young center forward who was making a name for himself. That season, he scored twenty-five goals and was a dangerous player for center halves. The man in question was a young Tony Cascarino.
The game began with Mark Proctor displaying class and dominating the Lads’ midfield, and even though Smith came near for the home team, we took the lead when Corner’s goal-bound drive was handled on the line. Sunderland brought a sizable crowd to Kent for the match. Proctor went up once more and put his kick into the corner of the net, giving us a very handy advantage that we maintained at the half despite a costly mistake from the spot against Barnsley.
middle half Due to injury, Hetzke was unable to play again in the second half. This was a crucial time because Cascarino had not seen much of the action in the first half. Eric Gates took Hetzke’s place in the second half, and Bennett returned to central defense with Corner. Cascarino wasted no time in launching a literal revolution with some assistance from Sunderland from this point on! On the 49th minute, he attempted an overhead kick, which goalie Iain Hesford miraculously tucked into the net. Hesford was only able to parry a cross that was nodded home for his second, and ten minutes later, he glided in for his hat trick.
Even though we were suddenly behind in this see-saw war and faced dire consequences, we managed to recover from the precipice on multiple occasions. Throughout the season, Proctor’s performances stood out above those of the majority of his teammates. One year earlier, he’d scored vital goals, including penalties, to rescue Sunderland from the similar trap. In the seventy-sixth minute, he scored another crucial goal from twenty yards.
Gillingham defeated Sunderland 3-2 on the night, but it wasn’t over because Sunderland scored two crucial goals on the road and would return to Roker Park for the second leg three days later. With just a one-goal advantage, Gillingham was playing in front of 25,000 boisterous supporters on their home field against a side from a higher level. Though both managers were aware that the game was halfway over, Stokoe was clearly disturbed.
Despite his shortcomings, Hetzke was the center back best equipped to facing down the rampaging Cascarino. His absence left Stokoe without a right back and with Hesford, the goalie, who had made some costly mistakes in the season. While Stokoe was considering his options for facing Cascarino, Gillingham manager Keith Peacock was probably thinking, “Your move,” as he observed Stokoe and Sunderland.