Sunderland are battling to reach another Wembley showpiece once again this season, as a club legend relives one of the club’s most dramatic afternoons at the home of football.
Sunderland’s campaign is currently in a state of limbo with 39 fixtures played so far this Championship season.
Regis Le Bris’ side enjoyed an exhilarating start to the season, reaching the summit for several weeks. However, form has suffered since the turn of the year as the Black Cats sit firmly in fourth place, and Sunderland’s season looks set to be defined in the Championship play-offs.
Sunderland are no stranger to cup final showdowns in the capital. With yet another play-off final on the cards, one beloved Black Cats legend has recalled his two-goal haul that almost inspired Wembley glory.
Aiden McGeady recalls magical Sunderland Wembley moment
Aiden McGeady is undoubtedly a modern-day Sunderland legend. Despite his Wearside time transpiring during the club’s agonising demotion to League One, the tricky winger will always be revered by the Stadium of Light faithful.
Now retired, McGeady made 150 appearances in red and white, notching 71 goal contributions in his five-season stint at Sunderland.
Two of his most iconic Sunderland strikes came in the EFL Trophy Final defeat at Wembley against Portsmouth in the 2018/19 season.
An early free-kick wondergoal was capped off with a 119th-minute equaliser, which unfortunately came to no avail for the travelling brigade of 40,000 Sunderland fans, as Pompey ran out 5-4 victors in the ensuing penalty shoot-out.
Recalling that historic afternoon, McGeady told the What the Falk podcast: “It was probably the atmosphere that day that led to it being such a memorable experience. Like 80,000 fans, half and half, Sunderland and Portsmouth, to get that many fans for, a League One trophy essentially, was unbelievable.
“It’s something not to celebrate, but we had a lot of close misses and near misses at Wembley and it was a chance to win a trophy. It was one of those games where we played well, first half we were really good, then we kind of started to sit back, soak up a bit of pressure, then you just felt a goal was coming.
“And then, that atmosphere, I don’t think I’ll ever forget it when I scored that second goal. I mean, we all went mad and then you kind of went, oh, penalties. We were all thinking as well, we’ve just came back, we’ll probably win on penalties.”
Sunderland could return to Wembley this season
McGeady’s cup heartbreak was followed by Sunderland’s League One play-off final defeat to Charlton. Sunderland’s Wembley hoodoo was lifted at the end of the 2021/22 campaign in McGeady’s final season on Wearside.
Sunderland’s 2024/25 Championship season could be defined in another Wembley showpiece if they reach the play-off final this season.
The Republic of Ireland international, and the rest of the Wearside faithful will be hoping Le Bris’ Black Cats can repeat that victorious feat, if destiny deems it fit for Sunderland’s season to curtail underneath the Wembley arch once again.