Chris Rigg wrote himself into Wear-Tees derby folklore as the 17-year-old’s outrageous backheeled winner secured Sunderland a 1-0 victory over Sky Bet Championship rivals Middlesbrough.
His instinctive 24th-minute finish settled a tight encounter in the home side’s favour to erase the disappointment of last weekend’s defeat at Plymouth and put their early-season charge back on track.
The Teessiders were in it until the death at the Stadium of Light but, unlike Regis Le Bris’ men, were unable to find the cutting edge to get something from the game.
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Chris Rigg scores the winner for Sunderland with an audacious backheel goal
Boro frontman Tommy Conway should have found the back of the net from Isaiah Jones’ fifth-minute cross but saw his header come back off the crossbar.
It look a well-timed intervention by Luke Ayling at the other end to halt Eliezer Mayenda’s progress after he had cut inside George Edmundson.
Both sides were wasteful in possession as they attempted to establish momentum, with Boro in particular guilty of turning the ball over deep inside their own half, although it took a timely Aidan Morris challenge to interrupt a dangerous surge into the box by Patrick Roberts.
Boro defender Matt Clarke sent a free header from a 24th-minute Finn Azaz corner wastefully over and the visitors were made to pay within seconds.
Edmundson had half-blocked Roberts’ shot, wrong-footing keeper Seny Dieng in the process. Rigg pounced on the rebound and, with the angle increasingly against him, backheeled the ball audaciously into the net.
Trai Hume blazed over from distance and Romaine Mundle drilled a shot into Dieng’s midriff after cutting inside as the Black Cats established something of a stranglehold on the game.
The first half ended in controversy when referee Simon Hooper waved away Mundle’s claims for a penalty after Ayling’s clumsy challenge and the visitors raced away for Latte Lath to send a lob just wide.
Roberts curled a 51st-minute attempt just wide of Dieng’s far past with the hosts looking to kill the game off, although Boro substitute Ben Doak prompted a hurried 66th-minute clearance by debutant Chris Mepham after being played into space by Conway’s intelligent pass.
Morris sliced a left-footed drive wide of Anthony Patterson’s right post with Boro’s desperation rising and, although they managed to build up a head of steam, they repeatedly over-elaborated in the final third and their plight might have deepened when Mundle rattled the post with a 79th-minute free-kick.
The managers
Sunderland’s Regis Le Bris on the goalscorer Chris Rigg:
“I don’t know [how he has that maturity], some players don’t have that maturity at 30.
“He wants to learn and has the personality to play in front of this crowd, who were amazing today.
“This midfield is very young, this team is very young, and I think that mixed culture is very interesting for us.”
Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick:
“[Trai Hume’s first-half challenge on Emmanuel Latte Lath] was a lot stronger than what the referee gave, it was reckless and dangerous, he’s gone through Emmanuel with excessive force. For me it is a red card, 100 per cent.
“Overall, we took the game to them.
“The goal is the goal, it comes after a deflection but that’s the way things are going for us at the moment.
“It was an even game and, if anything, we were the better team.”
