Sunderland reached the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2015 as Habib Diarra’s contentious first-half penalty earned a 1-0 win away to Oxford.
The Championship side proved stubborn opponents on a pitch that had been lashed by rain earlier in the day, but the surface held out at the Kassam Stadium and so did Regis Le Bris’ Premier League visitors, scraping through thanks to a decision that convinced few supporters in the home section.
Dennis Cirkin was the beneficiary, going over in the box under a challenge by Christ Makosso. With no VAR to advise, one look was all referee Thomas Kirk got and Diarra capitalised to help his team emerge from a tricky tie.
This had been a league fixture last season, Sunderland losing 2-0 here in April en route to ending the regular campaign with five straight defeats. Four weeks later they triumphed in the play-off final at Wembley to secure their top-flight return and have not looked back.
Oxford by contrast are facing the real prospect of their time in the second tier ending after two seasons, but they put relegation fears aside and put up a worthy fight, particularly in the closing stages as the Wearsiders were made to cling on.
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