Sunderland 1 Irons 1
Stewart Downing earned the Irons a hard won point in a dour affair.
The home side had taken the lead via a Jordi Gomez penalty after a very dodgy decision by Phil Dowd against James Tomkins with Johnson gaining a very soft decision.r.
We had looked the better side in the early exchanges with Alex Song protecting a well organised back four whilst looking dangerous on the break.
We were pressing high with Nolan pushing forward to join Carroll and Sakho and although the home side battled they carried little threat.
However Johnson managed to gain his penalty running at Tomkins to draw the foul in the 23rd minute. Gomez sent Adrian the wrong way from the spot.
It made little difference to the thrust of the game which saw the Irons pushing forward and always looking likely to score.
Downing got us back on terms with a left-foot shot from the right-hand edge of the box which took a deflection past keeper Pantilimon.
Sakho dragged a shot wide in the 38th minute and saw the Sunderland keeper save on the break as the two sides went blow for blow without the home side ever look seriously potent.
Song had a fine game in midfield for West Ham, stifling almost all of Sunderland’s play through the middle although the home team were finding more tempo as the second half progressed.
And we were lucky to escape a second penalty in the 72nd minute when replays showed Reid had handled and later. Immediately afterwards Fletcher tested Adrian who saved well.
Sunderland were looking the more likely at this stage and Adrian was in fine touch when finger tipping over a Wickham thunderbolt.
Carroll and Sakho had half chances but with the hosts attacking towards the final whistle a draw was probably a fair result.