OPPO: Nottingham Forest
VENUE: Stadium of Light
RESULT: Lads 1, Forest 0
TEAM: . Poom; Wright, Babb, Bjorklund, McCartney; Butler (Kyle 36), Whitley, McAteer, Arca; Stewart (Proctor 90), Smith (Williams 88).
SUBS NOT USED: : Ingham, Cooper
BOOKED: Stewart.
BACK IN BLACK: Martin Atkinson
ATTENDANCE: 26,340
MCCARTHY’S COMMENTS
“Credit to the players; they go out and give 100 per cent for this club week in, week out. We’re in a nice position if you consider that four league games ago we were 10th in the table. It’s been a great turnaround.
“It was a tight game and to get the win is very pleasing. Forest are a better side than the league table suggests and they made it difficult for us.
“Julio has done fantastically well. We all know he’s a good footballer and if he keeps scoring goals he can stay in midfield.”
Julio Arca provided the magic touch for the second week in succession to lift in-form Sunderland into fourth place.
It was Sunderland’s fifth win on the trot and they deserved it despite Nottingham Forest’s stern resistance..
The foundations for the victory were laid by the Black Cats’ impressive back-four. It was well marshalled by Phil Babb, who is enjoying an Indian summer in his career.
McCarthy kept Arca on the left side of midfield and it paid dividends. Thomas Butler was offered the chance to impress on the right flank but his game last less then 45 minutes before the Sunderland boss made a tactical change.
There was little to choose between the sides early in the game.
Sunderland delivered plenty of crosses into the box without creating any clear-cut chances, mainly because of good defending.
Kyle was thrown on in the 35th minute, as Sunderland’s crosses, of which there were plenty, were being too easily dealt with by Forest.
Sunderland had to pay special attention to Reid, who was head and shoulders above his team-mates.
From wide and deep on the right, Arca curled a left-footed free-kick around a packed penalty box and into the top left corner. The home fans celebrated but the referee, Martin Atkinson, consulted a linesman and then signalled for a goal-kick. The free-kick had been indirect and, though Stephen Wright claimed he had got his head to the ball, neither official detected a validating touch.
Sunderland were running out of attacking steam by the half-hour mark.
With Forest starting to dictate much of the play with their methodical passing, McCarthy sent on Kevin Kyle for Thomas Butler and switched Tommy Smith from a central striking role to the right wing.
A scrappy second half began with Stewart shooting wide of the target and continued with a series of wayward attempts on the Forest goal.
If Sunderland’s shooting was less than accurate, though, Forest’s was lamentably absent. For all their neat approach play, they struggled to get past Phil Babb and Joachim Bjorklund at the heart of the Sunderland defence.
Forest, who slipped into fourth bottom, could have no complaints about their result.
Sunderland, whose goal came from a superb 25-yard shot from their Argentine left-back Julio Arca, could easily have increased their lead – although they came close to being punished for not doing so when Andy Reid missed a good chance of an equaliser near the end.
Arca delivered the killer finish with a stunning 25-yarder just before half-time.
Sunderland had chances to secure the win, with Arca, Marcus Stewart and Jason McAteer going close.
Sunderland went into the game unbeaten at home since September and it did not take long to show why they have been so impressive on their own turf.
It was Sunderland who looked the more purposeful going forward. (Arca’s goal) was no more than the hosts deserved and after the break they pushed forward again with shots raining in on the Forest goal.
But at only 1-0 the hosts were always susceptible to a quick Forest counter-attack and they were almost made to pay.
