JACK ROSS spoke last week about Sunderland’s FA Cup heritage. The Wearside boss happy to turn back the clock to 1973 and take in the club’s finest hour, Ian Porterfield, Bob Stokoe, Jimmy Montgomery and all that.

It’s fair to say this game won’t appear in any fairytales. The current squad can still make their mark this season, but that will be in the League One title race, or in a knockout competition it will be in the Checktrade Trophy.

After a draw at Walsall ten days previously, the sides met again at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland couldn’t get the better of the Saddlers in back to back meetings, one league, one cup.

They also failed a third time last night.

And they rarely, if at all, looked like breaking their Saddlers duck.

This was, to be fair, a rare off-night for Ross and his players. The Saddlers follow Sheffield Wednesday in becoming the only sides to win at the Stadium of Light this season.

That was in the League Cup, they remain at home unbeaten in the League. And instead of a third round trip to Bolton Wanderers on January 5, Ross and Co will head for Charlton Athletic.

The last time they lost was back in mid-September. Ross has plenty to be positive about.

Amid a slow and sluggish opening Chris Maguire was booked on ten minutes, felling Kieron Morris after he lost the ball in midfield.

It was 15 minutes before the first attempt, Morris firing a low shot across the side netting from 20 yards. The pace on the ball beat Jon McLaughlin in the home goal.

Watmore was soon in action at the other end. Picked out by George Honeyman, the attacker managed to get the ball down and, under pressure, eventually earned a corner.

The Black Cats were almost caught on the break. They had a constant string of corners, but they all came to nothing.

When Jack Baldwin lost out, the Saddlers countered from inside their own half. Josh Gordon got away on the left side, and as he checked back, McLaughlin’s leg blocked his effort.

Compact and obdurate, the visitors were tough to break down. Switching the play was a constant option for the home side, but they lacked the panache to get in behind the opposition.

Watmore, lacking in sharpness, wasn’t able to get away from the back four. He was yellow carded on 36 minutes for a high boot on Jon Guthrie.

A break of some promise from skipper George Honeyman threatened to create something, although his floated ball was aimless in direction and keeper Liam Roberts gathered.

The Black Cats were indebted to a fine smothering save from McLaughlin to deny Gordon an opener after he was set up by Ferrier who broke away down the left, squared and the attacker looked a certain scorer.

It was the visitors who looked the more likely to score, this time Ferrier flashing a low shot wide from an angle.

A rare and sharp opening from the Black Cats, moving the ball across goal around a pack of defenders, saw Max Power snap a first-time shot wide.

But the first half was an insipid event; little to warm the heart on a frosty evening.

Watmore almost got away seconds after the restart. He was a bundle of legs and energy to chase down a pumped ball into space. He tried to find that extra gear to clip past the defender and home in on goal, but Luke Leahy was just as quick.

In time, those bursts will be rewarding.

He then turned on the edge of the area, facing goal firing a rising shot over the bar.

His side was soon left with plenty to do. Liam Kinsella took possession 25 yards out, took an assured touch, picked his spot and fired a fine, unstoppable shot past McLaughlin.

It was only the second goal the 22-year-old has scored; he won’t score many better. His only other goal was also past McLaughlin, the keeper beaten in his time at Burton.

The 200 visiting fans in a corner pocket of the south stand were in raptures.

The midfielder produced a piece of outrageous skill to dance through two opponents and create a chance for Osborne who was nowhere near matching his teammate in finding the target.

Ross instantly replaced the ineffective Sinclair with Josh Maja, seeking a spark up front from his leading scorer. Lee Cattermole made a return to the side, going on in place of Dylan McGeouch.

A slack pass from the back by Russell Martin gave possession straight to Chris Maguire. He picked out Watmore in space, and his curling shot was goalbound before being diverted away from the target.

There was little sign of a leveller, the Black Cats playing with the same outlook in lacking authority to get in behind the opposition.

Any chances came from distance, for all their intent and willingness to shift the ball, they lacked the guile to create clear openings.

Like a fog rolling in off the sea, frustration was creeping into the Stadium of Light. The Saddlers were taking their time when they could, gamesmanship to the fore to pass the time away.

Watmore was replaced on 78 minutes, Bali Mumba taking his place.

A whipped in free-kick from Luke O’Nein landed at the far post, Maguire unable to divert it on target.

More woe, more groans. They pressed at the end, spraying a balls into the area. Keeper McLaughlin went up for an injury time corner, but the pressure came to nothing.