sql_thegoals360_Sunderland defender Dan Ballard has revealed the squad are still “buzzing” following their thrilling Wear-Tyne derby win over Newcastle United in the Premier League. Speaking to the BBC after the fixture, Ballard reflected on the personal significance of the victory, recalling a difficult FA Cup meeting between the sides two years ago.
“Yeah. I mean, it was a great day. It was a really good day. Training this week’s been nice. The lads are still buzzing. So, yeah, it was a great result for us,” he said.
The centre-back admitted much of the match felt like a blur at the time, but rewatching the game and seeing the reaction from supporters has allowed it to sink in. “Yeah, I mean, games like that, they’re tense, and you’re desperate to win. So a lot of it’s a bit of a blur, to be honest. But I’ve been watching it back. The goal was unfortunate, but it was nice for us. And watching all the reaction from the fans, it’s been really nice.”
Ballard acknowledged the contrast with the last Sunderland-Newcastle clash, when he scored an own goal in the FA Cup, an incident he says has stayed with him ever since. Ironically, Magpies striker Nick Woltemade scored for Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, with Ballard hinting at sympathy for the Newcastle forward.
“Yeah, obviously I scored the own goal last time, so I know what it feels like and the backlash from that. And it’s been reminded to me for the last two, three years. So it was nice to get one back over them in probably the more important game now in the Premier League. And yeah, we felt like we could go in and win that game and we were really competitive. And I think we thoroughly deserved to win.”
Having been the only Sunderland player to start both derby matches, Ballard believes that previous experience helped him this time around. “Yeah, I mean, I was desperate to win, but I think having that experience helped me in that game because I knew what the atmosphere would be like. I knew how chaotic it would be and how pumped up the crowd would be. So I used it as a positive. I didn’t think too much about the backlash or the bad times from that day. So I think it really helped. And when the final whistle went, it just felt so much better.”
Asked to describe the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light, Ballard compared it to last season’s play-off semi-final against Coventry City but noted the unique edge of a derby. “It’s hard to describe, really. I mean, the play-off semi-final at the Stadium of Light was incredible. You could feel the nervousness in the crowd, but they were supporting us. This game is almost like an anger in the stadium and a real aggression coming from the crowd. It’s a big rivalry for a reason. So it’s important to stay calm, don’t buy into it as much, but just use the energy from the crowd. It’s real aggression and real intensity.”
Ballard also addressed a post-match photograph that caught social media attention, downplaying its personal significance but recognising its impact on others in the squad. “No, I mean, it wasn’t something we really spoke about. Obviously, Luke O’Nien played in that game before, and he did a little speech before the game. He brought that up and said how much it hurt him, and it hurt us. I don’t know whose idea it was to get the picture back. To me, it doesn’t really mean much. For some players, it probably hurt more than others. The most important thing was just winning the game. We were in our own stadium and could do what we wanted after. It is quite funny, though. It’s nice to get that revenge. It was disrespectful what they’d done.”
Meanwhile, Sunderland boss Régis Le Bris described their point away at Brighton as a fair outcome after his side stood firm during sustained pressure late in the match, despite missing several players to the Africa Cup of Nations. “A draw was probably a fair result,” Le Bris said. “The atmosphere in the dressing room was a bit disappointed [that we didn’t win], which was a good sign for the future. We had two parts to the game. Until 65 or 70 minutes, we were dominant, especially for a team playing away from home.”
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