TOM HOOPER ensured sorry Sunderland’s misery is here to stay as they face up to a grim FOURTH League One season.
Trailing 2-0, a comeback for the ages had lift off inside a rocking Stadium of Light after Ross Stewart and Charlie Wyke’s early strikes.
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But Hooper’s header made it 3-2 on aggregate to leave Lincoln a Wembley win away from a first visit to the second-tier in 60 years.
New Black Cats owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus brought fresh hope following years in the doldrums.
But it was the same old story of Wearside woe after Lee Johnson’s side blew their shot at automatic promotion before paying for their shocking first-leg showing.
Roared on by 10,000 raucous fans, the Mackems flew out of traps and were ahead 12 minutes in courtesy of January signing Stewart.
Aiden McGeady galloped down the left and put in a teasing low ball, with the former Ross County man darting to the near post and poking home.
The noise had the Imps frazzled and they should have been two down 10 minutes later after some calamitous passing out from the back.
Charlie Wyke seized on the loose ball and rounded Alex Palmer before somehow fluffing his lines with the goal gaping, firing straight at the covering Timothy Eyoma.
But Sunderland’s top scorer made amends moments later, notching his 31st of the season in all competitions.
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McGeady, 35, was the architect again with another peach from the left, putting it on a plate for Wyke to stab in from close range.
Frozen out under former boss Phil Parkinson and not making his first appearance until December 5, it was the Republic of Ireland veteran’s 18th assist in all competitions – taking him level with Bruno Fernandes across the country.
If the quarter-full Stadium of Light was bouncing before it was virtually shaking now, with Johnson’s boys in overdrive.
But the break allowed Lincoln to take a chill pill and regroup, with the visitors going 3-2 up on aggregate 56 minutes in.
Regan Poole headed a warning shot off the bar, causing nerves to sneak around the Stadium of Light for the first time.
And Hooper ratcheted up the anxiety levels by peeling off Wyke to nod in Jorge Grant’s corner.
Full-blown panic was then in the air when Luke O’Nien hacked sub Conor McGrandles in the area, only for Lee Burge to leap superbly to his right to save Grant’s penalty.
McGrandles then had a great chance to kill the tie off but blazed over when through on goal.
McGeady nearly drew them level but fired off the post with Wyle smashing the rebound into the side netting, before sub Aiden O’Brien was denied late on by Palmer.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
