Simon Comes So Close To Ending Jinx On Wearside

Grayson proud of Blackpool battlers

- Joe Thomas

A LITTLE over two years after he was sacked as Sunderland boss, Simon Grayson was left frustrated not to have celebrated a win – something he failed to do at the Stadium of Light during his time on Wearside.

Despite watching his Blackpool side take the lead inside four minutes when Matty Virtue-Thick curled a fine finish over goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin, Grayson had to settle for a point on his first visit since his departure in October 2017.

That was because Sunderland, now without a win in eight and sitting 12th in League One which equals the worst position the club has ever occupied, battled back to equalize when Charlie Wyke volleyed in his first since August.

Grayson didn’t even have a chance to face the media when he was sacked following a 3-3 draw with, ironically, Phil Parkinson’s Bolton on Halloween that year, so this time he did and he was in far better spirits than he was then.