Goalkeeper Robin Roefs looked to the heavens and shouted ‘f***!’ Regis Le Bris stood brooding off stage. Sunderland had been breached, and it had been coming.
In a dismal domestic season for Sunderland, they have been able to count on their European travels for a sprinkle of light relief, however hard-fought. Until now, that is.
There is no papering over the cracks after a troubling night at Lech Poznan, where a strong starting XI that included Granit Xhaka hobbled to a draw against the Europa League’s basement boys.
It had all started so rosily when Timur Tutierov – a Crimean refugee whose very existence is a tribute to his resilience – scored his first goal for the club with a header after just 78 seconds.
But in front of one of central Europe’s more forbidding crowds, Sunderland failed to handle the frenetic, end-to-end pulsations of this game and eventually wilted.
To their credit, the Black Cats were on top for large swathes of the game, having 22 shots, but Nordi Mukiele, Malick Fofana, and Chris Rigg all saw chances go begging and the visitors were punished for their profligacy.
Sunderland drew 1-1 at Lech Poznan in the Europa League despite leading after just 78 seconds
Timor Tutierov had given Sunderland the lead with a header after just 78 seconds
But Leo Begtsson spoiled the party with a deserved equaliser for the hosts in the second half
It is not the end of the world for Sunderland, who sit fifth in the Europa League standings, but it leaves much to be desired after narrow wins over AZ and second-tier Portuguese outfit Torreense.
To put the result in context, Lech Poznan arrived at this game bottom of the Europa League after 4-0 drubbings by Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen. This is not the side who once beat Manchester City.
And for the 2,000 Mackems who made this trip, and filled Poznan’s Old Town with their songs, the performance did little to part the dark clouds which have recently congealed over the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland sit bottom of the Premier League with one point in their last five games and Le Bris, for all his brilliant achievements in the North East, has started to come under pressure.
There are no suggestions of the Frenchman’s position being immediately at threat – and there should not be – but even he has admitted that Sunderland have not been themselves recently.
A side known for their solidity last season have opened this campaign with a comedy of errors and ill discipline. They lead the way for mistakes leading to goals in the league, having already committed five. Mukiele recently accused his own team-mates of ‘arrogance’.
This performance was no different, with Kevin Danso error-prone once again, and picking up a booking for dragging down Mikael Ishak while trying to atone for his own miscontrol.
Most worrying was the ping-pong feel of the game, which saw 32 shots, and several gilt-edged chances for the Polish side to snatch a win after Leo Bengtsson’s 70th-minute equaliser. Roefs had to make an incredible double save shortly after the goal to hold off the hosts.
In the absence of Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor, Sunderland’s front four buzzed around with energy, but the wastefulness will worry Le Bris.
Leeds are up next before a trip to Coventry on Halloween, with the chance for things to get hairy if Sunderland flop again.
Jablonec 0-0 Brighton, Press Association
Brighton drew a rare blank as they were held to a goalless draw by Czech minnows Jablonec in the Conference League.
The Premier League’s top scorers, who have scored 23 goals across their first seven matches, misfired badly in the foothills of the Jizera Mountains in northern Czechia.
Jablonec coach Lubos Kozel had said his side would need a “miracle” to get anything from the match.
It turned out they only needed a below-par display from the favourites to lift the trophy to take a point, and in fact they could have had all three.
Around 1,000 Seagulls fans made the trip from the Sussex coast to the homely Stadion Strelnice in the city of Jablonec nad Nisou.
These are heady days for their team, who lie third in the English top flight, fresh from Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing of M23 rivals Crystal Palace.
Brighton, typically so prolific this season, were held to a goalless draw by Czech side Jablonec
Boss Fabian Hurzeler, in his 100th match in charge, made eight changes from that memorable win with only Bart Verbruggen, Olivier Boscagli and the omnipresent Pascal Gross keeping their places.
They pinned the hosts in their own half for the first 20 minutes but Jack Hinshelwood’s shot was saved by Jablonec keeper Jan Hanus while Gross and Ibrahim Osman were off target.
Jablonec eventually got far enough forward to win a corner, which Antonín Rusek headed narrowly wide.
Goalkeeper Verbruggen also had to be alert to smother a cute backheel from Rusek.
But they were rare moments of concern for the Seagulls, although they were frustrated in front of goal in the first half.
Georginio Rutter was cleverly put through by Gross but flashed his shot across the face of goal and wide, and Boscagli fired over from long range.
Early in the second half Rutter’s pass found Osman, but his effort flew wide before Malick Yalcouye tucked the ball into the net, only to be flagged offside.
Then Osman’s reverse pass got Matt O’Riley in behind, but his fizzing ball across the six-yard box could not find Rutter.
Hurzeler had seen enough after Osman blazed another chance high over the crossbar, making four changes with Chema Andres, Luka Vuskovic, Yasin Ayari and Promise David sent on.
However, the changes had little effect and Jablonec were looking the likelier to score towards the end.
Rusek almost capitalised on a mistake by Joao Costinha before Verbruggen had to make a spectacular fingertip save to prevent Jiri Slama’s drive from hitting the top corner.
Rutter, who scored twice in Brighton’s opening 4-0 victory over Kauno Zalgiris, had a chance to win it in stoppage time but his snapshot was beaten away by Hanus.
