30-01-54: Sunderland (a) 2-5 (HT 1-3) Crowd (16,963)

Programme:

Sunderland and crowd details courtesy Steve Bell. The Referee was R. Wood of Sunderland

Match Report: Yorkshire Post: 30th January 1954: Courtesy Steve Bell

Carter returns to Roker Park

Sunderland 5 Leeds United 2

Manager Raich Carter, former Roker Park idol, showed a crowd of 17,000 that touches of the football genius are still retained in his feet but that the pace and passing years become a handicap no footballer with perhaps the exception of Billy Meredith has beaten. The Leeds defence was always struggling in the second half against the quick moving Sunderland attack which has shown such marked improvement since the advent of Chisholm and Purdon. The Leeds United inside-forwards could not hold young Anderson and Sunderland's oldest servant, Arthur Wright, who moved from the wing-half positions and drew Kerfoot and Burden out of position. Len Shackleton with his twinkling feet, made the most of this and if he had not attempted to beat everybody in the goalmouth might himself have got two or three goals. It was not serious football - as far as the challenging was concerned. John Charles was too often fighting a lone battle in the second half and he and his fellow Welshman, Ray Daniels, broke about even on the game. In the first half Iggleden was a great worker, but later he was more concerned helping the rearguard in which Scott made some good if occasionally lucky saves. It was certainly entertaining and Leeds would collect about £600 from their visit. Chisholm's hat-trick of scoring Sunderland's third, fourth and fifth goals had been preceded by a deflected goal from Wright and a solo effort from Purdon. Charles headed his first half goal and Iggleden got the second after the interval.