WITH Sunderland visiting the Reebok on Saturday, Gordon Sharrock looks back on a previous encounter which featured one of the most memorable goals in Wanderers’ history

IT was one of the most iconic images of the Seventies: Sam Allardyce soaring high above Joe Bolton and Jack Ashurst to power an unstoppable header past Sunderland keeper Jim Montgomery in front of a Burnden Park crowd of more than 40,000.

But its importance to Wanderers at that particular time was measured in points rather than power.

Big Sam’s equaliser was the catalyst for a victory that put Ian Greaves’s Whites level on points with the Wearsiders at the top of the old Second Division and put promotion back to the top flight very much on the Bolton agenda.

Wanderers, beaten 2-1 at Oldham the previous day, faced a severe test of character when they trailed 1-0 at half time, Tony Dunne having headed a Tony Towers cross past his own bemused keeper Barry Siddall seconds before the break.

The response was awesome.

The massive crowd — more than twice as big as the previous best that season — generated a cup tie atmosphere and Allardyce rose to the occasion, meeting Peter Thompson’s corner with a breathtaking header.

It was a real heavyweight contest but it was Wanderers who landed the decisive blow 20 minutes from time when Thompson sent Peter Reid down the left and the midfielder’s cross found John Byrom unmarked to head past an exposed Montgomery.

Wanderers Siddall; Ritson, Dunne, Greaves, Paul Jones, Allardyce, Byrom, Whatmore, Garry Jones, Reid, Thompson. Sub: Smith.

Sunderland Montgomery; Malone, Bolton, Towers, Clarke, Ashurst, Kerr, Finney, Holden, Robson, Henderson. Sub: Rowell.

Referee: K W Ridden (Shrewsbury).

Attendance: 42,680.