Habib Diarra on the spot as Sunderland ease past toothless Oxford

Precipitation not perspiration was the order of the day here, as the rain hammered down on the banks of a bloated river Thames and Sunderland made it to the FA Cup fifth round without having to break a sweat. Habib Diarra’s first‑half penalty provided only a narrow margin of victory for Régis Le Bris’s visitors, but the margin flattered Oxford. With two teams of reserves con­testing a tie in a competition that is priority for neither club, this was a drab match in sodden surrounds. There was little in the way of the magic of the Cup, but to their credit 9,879 spectators created a decent atmosphere all the same. Continue reading...

By Paul MacInnes at the Kassam Stadium