admin‘Revenge’ – Dan Ballard sends clear message to Newcastle United and Nick Woltemade after derby win
Dan Ballard admits Sunderland’s morale remains sky-high after their derby victory over Newcastle United, describing the win as a form of revenge for the painful FA Cup defeat two years ago.
Speaking to the BBC after the Wear-Tyne derby, the Sunderland defender revealed the squad are still “buzzing” from the result, which carried extra personal meaning for him following his own goal in the previous meeting between the sides.
“It was a great day, a really good day,” Ballard said. “Training this week has been enjoyable and the lads are still buzzing. It was a massive result for us.”
Ballard explained that the intensity of the occasion meant much of the match felt like a blur at the time, but watching it back — and seeing the reaction from supporters — has allowed the significance of the win to sink in.
“Games like that are tense and you’re desperate to win, so a lot of it passes you by,” he added. “I’ve watched it back since and seeing the fans’ reaction has been really nice.”
The centre-back acknowledged how different the emotions were compared to Sunderland’s FA Cup clash with Newcastle, when he scored an own goal — an incident he says has followed him ever since.
With Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade scoring an unfortunate own goal at the Stadium of Light this time, Ballard admitted he could sympathise.
“I know what it feels like and the backlash that comes with it — I’ve been reminded of it for the last two or three years,” he said. “So it was nice to get one back over them, especially in what’s now the more important game in the Premier League. We felt we could win, we were really competitive and I think we fully deserved it.”
As the only Sunderland player to start both derby fixtures, Ballard believes his previous experience helped him cope with the occasion this time around.
“I was desperate to win, but having been through it before helped,” he said. “I knew what the atmosphere would be like, how chaotic it would feel and how pumped up the crowd would be. I tried to use that as a positive, not think about the bad memories. When the final whistle went, it felt so much better.”
Describing the atmosphere inside the Stadium of Light, Ballard compared it to last season’s play-off semi-final second leg against Coventry City, while noting the added edge that only a derby can bring.
“It’s hard to put into words,” he said. “The play-off semi-final was incredible, but this had an anger and aggression to it. That’s what makes it such a big rivalry. You have to stay calm, not get carried away, but use the energy from the crowd.”
Ballard also addressed the post-match photograph shared on social media, which referenced Newcastle’s actions at the Stadium of Light in the past. While he played down its importance personally, he acknowledged it meant more to others in the squad.
“It wasn’t really spoken about,” he said. “Luke O’Nien mentioned it before the game and how much it hurt him. I don’t know whose idea the photo was. For me, it didn’t mean much — the most important thing was winning. But it is quite funny, and it was nice to get that bit of revenge. What they did before was disrespectful.”
Elsewhere, head coach Régis Le Bris felt Sunderland’s goalless draw away at Brighton was a fair result, praising his side’s resilience during a late spell of pressure.
Despite missing several players due to Africa Cup of Nations call-ups, Sunderland enjoyed long periods of control before defending resolutely to secure a clean sheet.
“A draw was probably a fair result,” Le Bris said. “There was some disappointment in the dressing room that we didn’t win, which is a good sign. Until 65 or 70 minutes, we were dominant, especially for a team playing away from home.”
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