On November 5, 1938, Sunderland finally brought an end to their early-season home winless streak with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Stoke City at Roker Park. Lineups for the Black Cats featured eight players who had triumphed at Wembley in the FA Cup 18 months earlier. Sunderland set an aggressive tempo early, with Bobby Gurney and Eddie Burbanks threatening before Johnny Spuhler had an opening goal disallowed for offside just five minutes into the match. Raich Carter later rattled the underside of the crossbar, signaling a dominant performance from the hosts.
The spotlight ultimately belonged to forward Patsy Gallacher, who delivered a landmark performance in front of the home crowd. Gallacher had been stranded on 99 league goals since scoring away at Grimsby Town in March, but he broke his drought in style by netting his 100th league goal. Just eight minutes later, he added his 101st. These strikes would stand as his final goals in a Sunderland shirt, sealing a crucial win and delivering a memorable sign-off for the club’s supporters.
