Wycombe Wanderers scored rescued a point in the seventh minute of injury time as the Chairboys drew 3-3 with Sunderland in an incredible game at Adams Park.
In an end-to-end first end, the North East side took the lead thanks to a Ross Stewart header that will likely go down as a David Stockdale just three minutes into the contest.
After dominating the early stages, Dennis Curkin managed to elude Jack Grimmer on the right hand side and produced a brilliant cross which was met by Sunderland’s man in form, Ross Stewart.
It maybe cold, it maybe wet, but it’s good to be back at Adams Park under the lights 💥
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) January 8, 2022
🤝 Wycombe vs Sunderland
⏰ 12.30pm KO
💻 Live blog to be up soon pic.twitter.com/k6jYipumVT
The striker crashed his close range header against the crossbar before it eventually bounced over the line.
However, replays showed that the final touch came off Wycombe’s number 13 in Stockdale, with the goal potentially going down as an OG.
3 - Goal. Sunderland take the lead. Ross Stewart with his 16th league goal of the season. #Chairboys 🔵 0-1 🔴#SAFC#WYCvSUN
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) January 8, 2022
Despite falling behind so early on, Wanderers got into the match and started to show the Black Cats why they are in this promotion push.
Moments after going behind, Sam Vokes forced Anthony Pattison into a brilliant save after the Welshman met a Josh Scowen cross, but it didn’t take long for the Chairboys to get their equaliser.
After Brandon Hanlan and Jordan Obita had their attempts blocked by the heroic Sunderland defence, they were helpless in stopping Wanderers’ wiz kid in Anis Mehmeti.
14 - GOOOOAALLL!!!! ANIS MEHMETI!!! #Chairboys #Chairboys 🔵 1-1🔴 #SAFC#WYCSUN
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) January 8, 2022
The Albanian made some space outside the box, steadied himself and fired home from 20-yards.
Replays showed that the strike did take a deflection, but it was Mehmeti’s goal, it was his fourth of the campaign, his first at Adams Park and Wanderer were back on level terms.
This got Wanderers’ mojo back in what was their first game at Adams Park in nearly a month, and after Mehmeti forced Pattison into a decent save midway through the half, you could sense that Wycombe were trying to get the game at the scruff of the neck.
Their gung-ho approach worked as they took the lead nine minutes before half-time thanks to Sam Vokes.
After a McCleary corner was headed into the air by a Sunderland player, the ball dropped into the six-yard box, and there was Vokes to bundle in his eighth of the campaign.
36 - GOOOAALLL! VOKES! #Chairboys 🔵 2-1 🔴 #SAFC
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) January 8, 2022
However, Wycombe’s lead did not last long as Stewart equalised 120 seconds later after he brilliantly flicked in an Elliot Embleton cross.
38 - Goal. Sunderland. Stewart.#Chairboys🔵 2-2🔴 #SAFC
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) January 8, 2022
The urgency continued in the second half but it was the away side that were in the ascendancy.
Lee Johnson’s men bossed the final 45 minutes and had many attempts to take the lead.
Eight minutes into the second period, Stockdale parried a Pritchard shot from 15-yards, and Stewart’s header looped over the stranded goalkeeper.
However, Jacobson managed to acrobatically block the effort off the line to the surprise of the Sunderland fans.
On the hour mark, Stockdale clawed away an Embleton cross which was goal bound before the attacking player struck the bar with a brilliant and bending long-range effort.
Long stoppage in play as Corey Evans is down with a head injury. The CB collided with McCleary and Pattison with Wanderers were on the attack. A fair bit of stoppage time will be added. #Chairboys 🔵 2-2 🔴 #SAFC
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) January 8, 2022
Stewart and Lynden Gooch also forced Stockdale into a spell of saves as Sunderland continued to dominate.
90 + 2 - Goal. Ross Stewart. Bedlam in the away end. #Chairboys 2-3 #SAFC.
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) January 8, 2022
Wycombe did have a rare attempt on goal when Jack Grimmer’s shot hit the side netting, but, the game was halted to on 73 minutes.
Garath McCleary ran through on the Sunderland goal but as Pattison came out to head the ball away, the two collided with Corry Evans.
Evans immediately fell and the referee, Charles Breakspear, called for the medics and there was a silence around Adams Park.
Evans was tended to for around seven minutes before he was subbed off for Jack Diamond, and after receiving a standing ovation, play continued and Sunderland attacked.
Embleton, Pritchard and Stewart peppered Stockdale, whilst Scowen forced Pattison into a save with minutes remaining.
It was hanging in the balance with nine minutes of stoppage time being added on.
And two minutes into stoppage time, Sunderland thought they had won it thanks to another Stewart strike.
But, in the seventh minute of time added on, another McCleary corner caused chaos in the box and there was Joe Jacobson to bundle in the equaliser.
It was JJ’s fifth of the campaign.
90 + 7 - GOOOALLLL!!!!! IT'S JOE JACOBSON! NEVER WRITE THIS TEAM OFF!#Chairboys 3-3 #SAFC
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) January 8, 2022
Sunderland miss out on the chance of going top, whilst Wanderers remain in the play-off places.
FT: Wycombe Wanderers 3-3 Sunderland.
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) January 8, 2022
What an end at Adams Park! Joe Jacobson scores Wanderers' equaliser in the seventh minute of injury-time after Sunderland thought they had won it with Stewart's goal in the second minute of time added on. What a game! #Chairboys
Up next for Wycombe is a trip away at Bolton on January 11.
Attendance: 7,229
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