Sunderland held Europe-chasing Bournemouth to a 1-1 draw on the south coast this afternoon, and talkSPORT pundit Scott Minto says one man stood out above the rest.
Sunderland scrap for well-earned stalemate at Bournemouth
It has been a tough few weeks for Sunderland.
Five defeats in their last six Premier League outings heading into the trip to the Vitality Stadium, a growing injury list that would test any manager’s patience, and the very real prospect of a debut top-flight season beginning to unravel.
Regis Le Bris needed a response on the south coast on Saturday morning. For long stretches, he got one.
Sunderland arrived at Bournemouth without the likes of Romaine Mundle, Dennis Cirkin, Jocelin Ta Bi, Nordi Mukiele, Brian Brobbey and Reinildo Mandava through injury, and faced a home side unbeaten since early January and chasing European football.
The odds were stacked against them, but they started brightly, and it was Eliezer Mayenda who gave them the lead on 18 minutes.
Habib Diarra’s ferocious strike was too hot for Petrovic to hold, and the Bournemouth goalkeeper could only spill it into the path of Mayenda, who tapped home from close range with the simplest of finishes.
The Cherries pushed hard for a leveller and created chances throughout the first half, but Sunderland held firm.
Granit Xhaka, making his return to the side after seven games out with injury, provided composure in midfield, and the defensive unit behind him showed the kind of organisation that has been missing in recent weeks.
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It doesn’t get any better for them.
Diarra nearly doubled the lead early in the second half, racing clear before Petrovic stood tall to deny him, and then seeing his follow-up rebound go wide with the goal gaping. Had that gone in, it might have been a very different afternoon.
Instead, Bournemouth levelled on 63 minutes. Substitute Marcus Tavernier delivered a perfect cross from the left, and Evanilson — who had come off the bench at half-time — climbed highest at the back post to power a header past Anthony Roefs.
VAR then denied Sunderland a penalty, ruling that Alex Jimenez’s challenge on Enzo Le Fee constituted normal contact. A decision that frustrated the visitors, though it did not knock them out of their stride.
Both sides pushed for a winner in the closing stages without finding one, and Sunderland came away from the Vitality Stadium with a point that felt hard-earned and thoroughly deserved.
Dan Ballard praised after ‘superb’ Sunderland display against Bournemouth
One man stood above everyone else on the pitch, though.
Dan Ballard was exceptional from start to finish — composed in possession, dominant in the air, and alert to every threat Bournemouth threw at him.
He even came close to a goal of his own, meeting an Enzo Le Fee corner with a well-engineered flick header that drifted just wide.
talkSPORT commentator Scott Minto had no hesitation in making Ballard his man of the match, and was full of praise for the Northern Ireland international when the final whistle blew.
“He was superb, and just showed great character,” Minto said.
“Reads the game so well, a proper old-school defender who’s come up into the Premier League and showing he’s a Premier League player.”
It is hard to argue. Ballard has been one of Sunderland’s most consistent performers throughout this historic debut campaign in the top flight, and afternoons like this one are exactly why.
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