Gills 0 - Sunderland 4: "An emphatic win" - Mick

Mick McCarthy praised his under-fire team after today's 4-0 thrashing of Gillingham.

He said, "It was a good performance, I'm pleased with it. We came here with only five points and we were getting a bit of a bashing.

"We've started off badly from our standards from last season in terms of results and yes, that was an emphatic performance.

We've played well today as we did here last year but when I was speaking to some of my peers this week they asked where we were playing and when I said Gillingham they groaned.

"I hope it proves what I've been saying in that we do have good players and we are better than our league positions suggests."

And McCarthy praised Marcus Stewart's reaction to being substituted at the Madejski stadium where Sunderland were roundly beaten recently.

"I took Marcus Stewart off at Reading and he was not happy. He was terrific in training yesterday and I told him so. He took that performance into today's game. I think that if you have a beef with the mananger the best way to answer it is by going out and playing well and he did that.

"I'd like that reaction from every player. He's made his point in the right manner; not only with his goals, but with his whole performance. He ran their back-four in places they did not want to go."

The gaffer also praised Stephen Elliott who signed from Man City in the close season, as the youngster scored his third goal, deputising for the injured Kevin Kyle.

"I'm pleased with Stephen Elliott, he's proved to people that he can handle this level.

"It was a good day!"

Sunderland: Poom; Breen, McCartney, Wright, Caldwell; Robinson (Oster 72), Whitley, Arca, Whitehead; Stewart (Johnson 75), Elliott (Lynch 87).
Unused Subs: Myhre, Collins.

Herts's full match review will be online soon, here.