Sunderland striker's blunt promotion warning to Leeds United, Burnley & others after 5-goal thriller
Sunderland closed the gap on league leaders Leeds United on Monday night.
Wilson Isidor has not shied away from his Sunderland side’s desire to win automatic promotion this season in a bold warning for Leeds United and their top-two rivals.
Sunderland pulled level on points with third-placed Burnley following a dramatic 3-2 win at Middlesbrough on Monday evening. While focus across the footballing world was on deadline day, Regis Le Bris’ side won a topsy-turvy clash at the Riverside Stadium thanks to Ryan Giles’ comical late own-goal.
The Black Cats fell behind early on but battled to get ahead, with Isidor’s ice-cold finish putting his side 2-1 up on 51 minutes. Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney equalised on the hour but the decisive action was from his teammate Giles, who was unable to adjust as Enzo Le Fee’s cross cannoned into the Boro net off his knee.
There has been an underlying expectation in some quarters that as this season’s surprise package, Sunderland would start to fall away but having lost out to Ipswich Town last term, Leeds know better then to expect any favours. And automatic promotion is very much in the minds of Isidor and his teammates going into the campaign’s final 16 games.
“I think everybody knows and we are not shy to say it,” Isidor told Sky Sports in the immediate aftermath of Monday’s win at the Riverside Stadium. “We want to get promoted in the automatic places. So we know that the race is tough.
“Because there is a good team also and we know that this group is special. Also the coach, I think the fans know that this group is special and we really enjoy being together. So we will try to get the promotion and give our best. Because that's only what we can do with the jersey.”
With Leeds and Sheffield United both winning over the weekend, pressure was on Sunderland to keep pace with those currently occupying the automatic promotion places. Daniel Farke’s side put seven past Cardiff without reply and while the Blades’ 1-0 win at Derby County was not as convincing, it yielded the same points return.
Burnley drew 0-0 again at Portsmouth - their 10th goalless stalemate of the campaign - and so Sunderland had the chance to pull level on points while also getting one over on a close rival in Middlesbrough. They did exactly that and Isidor caught the eye during post-match celebrations when putting his Black Cats shirt over a Riverside Stadium corner flag.
“We were really concentrated before the game,” the striker added. “We really wanted to win that game more here in the stadium. Because we wanted to take six points against them, because it's important for us for the title race.
“So that's why I think my emotion was a little bit too much. But it's okay, nothing is too much for this club, nothing is too much for those fans. So that's why my reaction was like that. I just enjoyed to play here, so that's amazing.”