Nick Woltemade put through his own net as Sunderland enjoyed a derby win to remember against arch-rivals Newcastle United.
These North East neighbours renewed hostilities for the first time in nearly a decade in the Premier League on Sunday, and it was Woltemade who made a decisive contribution – but not in the way the German forward would have imagined.
The second half had not long got under way when Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele whipped a teasing cross into the box and Woltemade attempted to head the ball behind.
But the club’s record signing ended up directing the ball in off the crossbar and into the net to send the Stadium of Light into raptures.
It felt like the roof was about to come off the stadium on an emotional afternoon for the hosts – just a day after club legend Gary Rowell died at the age of 68 following a long battle with leukemia.
Rowell cemented his place in the hearts of Sunderland fans by scoring a hat-trick against Newcastle in 1979, and Regis le Bris’ fearless side built on the club’s strong record against their bitter rivals.
The tone was set by Sunderland supporters unfurling a huge tifo before a ball was even kicked, which depicted a black cat hunting down a magpie in a nod to the clubs’ respective nicknames.
And Sunderland fed off the noise of a febrile Stadium of Light from the off as forward Bertrand Traore crashed into Lewis Hall from kick-off.
The remarkably frenetic nature of the game did not subside but both teams lacked composure and creativity in front of goal, particularly in the first half, with captain Granit Xhaka firing over from outside the box and defender Dan Ballard also sending a header off target.
But Sunderland landed what proved to be a decisive blow after the break when Woltemade scored just the second ever Premier League own goal in the Tyne-Wear derby.
The hosts went close to doubling their advantage late on, but Aaron Ramsdale made a big save to keep out substitute Wilson Isidor’s stinging volley.
Sunderland saw the game out to move up to seventh – five places above Newcastle.
