WILSON ISIDOR might not like it, but he has turned into quite the super-sub.
Last weekend he rose from the bench and bagged the winner against Fulham at the Stadium of Light.
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This time he won the penalty that was confidently converted by Enzo Le Fee as Sunderland scraped a point at Brentford.
And it was nothing less than the Black Cats deserved. Dan Ballard had the ball in the net early on before his goal was chalked off for an offside that was only spotted when VAR chimed in.
And they had the better of the chances – especially in the first half, when Le Fee clattered the post with a missile of a half-volley.
Brentford will be feeling bitter at blowing their lead after going a goal up in the 57th minute through Vitaly Janelt.
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Though maybe not quite as bitter as they will feel watching Sunderland head to the San Siro just before Christmas – the Black Cats having pipped them to a Europa League spot by a single point last season.
Brentford strengthened bravely over the summer with boss Keith Andrews eager to smash through their mid-table ceiling.
Mamadou Sangare started again in central midfield but was kept quieter by Sunderland than by Tottenham or Leeds, while other newbies were brought on from the bench.
But for all their summer business – Brentford’s net spend was higher than Arsenal’s – the margins are still fine between these two sides.
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Saturday 5 September
Brentford
1 – 1
EPL
Sunderland
Brighton
1 – 1
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Leeds
Fulham
2 – 3
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Palace
Man City
1 – 0
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Coventry
Forest
0 – 0
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Spurs
Hull
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Live 9′
Villa
Saturday 5 September
Forest
0 – 0
EPL
Spurs
Man City
1 – 0
EPL
Coventry
Fulham
2 – 3
EPL
Palace
Brighton
1 – 1
EPL
Leeds
Brentford
1 – 1
EPL
Sunderland
Newcastle
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Bournemouth
English Premier League
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The Bees have been devastating from set-pieces under Andrews, and their latest crafty corner routine opened up the space for Mikkel Damsgaard to drive a low cross into the box inside five minutes, but Keane Lewis-Potter was unable to thread his effort through a gaggle of bodies.
Moments later, Sunderland showed they are no mugs from a dead ball either. Bees skipper Nathan Collins got his head on a free-kick launched from deep, but the clearance fell straight to Ballard, who slotted into the bottom corner.
It was only after the celebrations and pitchside VAR review that referee Thomas Bramall disallowed it because new Black Cats signing Kevin Danso was offside while blocking Caoimhin Kelleher’s line of sight.
Revved up, Sunderland’s Le Fee clattered the woodwork before Thomas Meunier was denied by a heroic block from young substitute Jannik Schuster.
Brentford made a triple change at the break and immediately looked more threatening, with Lewis-Potter’s cross finding Igor Thiago, whose close-range header was straight at Robin Roefs.
Janelt struck a few minutes later, blasting in Nordi Mukiele’s headed clearance to break the deadlock.
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And sub Jaidon Anthony thought he had made it two when he turned in Thiago’s cross, but replays showed that he had knocked it out of Roefs’ two-handed grasp and the goal was chalked off.
Isidor was causing problems by now, and when Lewis-Potter dragged him to the ground in the box late on he had done his job yet again. Le Fee then stepped up, sending Kelleher the wrong way and the travelling fans wild.