One of the overriding features of this season’s campaign that clearly separates the performances from that of last season has been Sunderland’s ability to convert average displays into solid wins. The Lads have done it on many occasions this season, home and away, undoubtedly an important factor in their rise to the top of the league.
However, it hasn’t happened in many games of the recent 5 match winning run, in which the Lads, particularly at home, have ploughed through the opposition. With this in mind, McCarthy named a similar side, with only one, necessary, change being made. Whitehead, failing to recover from his hamstring injury, was replaced by Lawrence.
Although this was a very similar side to that which took on Plymouth on Tuesday, the performance, in the first half at least was very, very different. In a fairly lackluster start to the match, both sides looked tired and weary and, as a result of this, failed to create any real chances. Coventry, looking the more dangerous of two poor first-half sides came close with a couple of long range efforts that troubled Mhyre whilst Sunderland could only muster up a few penalty shouts in a dire first half an hour. On that half hour mark, Arca created the best chance of the first period when he combined with Elliott to create some space down the left but his effort, after cutting in from the left, was well saved by the City ‘keeper. After, it was much the same standard of football displayed by both sides at the start of the half as nothing more was created before half time.
This barren spell continued for the first some ten minutes or so of the second half until some inspired substitutions by McCarthy finally injected some pace and life into the game. He swapped Whitley and Lawrence, who contrary to recent form were both very poor, for Thornton and Brown respectively. Their effect was felt almost immediately when Wright latched onto a Thornton corner but could only find the post and Brown did the same just minutes later when he came one on one with the ‘keeper. Their effect was the increased when, after suffering from another injury, Arca was replaced by Welsh which just helped to increase Sunderland’s attacking threat. With the crowd now getting well behind the lads and the team, seemingly, feeding on this, a goal was becoming increasingly likely. Thornton saw his shot go just wide and Stewart saw his saved before a breakthrough was eventually made. Wright, having received the ball on the edge of the area from Robinson was able to lay the ball off to Brown who fired the ball into the bottom corner for a hugely deserved goal. After this Sunderland took up the now customary sit back and relax position, inviting Coventry to heap on the pressure. Just as news was filtering through of an equaliser against Wigan, fans found it hard to celebrate this news as City began to look dangerous. However, after a couple of blocked shots and a poor, last minute header from Stern John, the points were Sunderland’s and with draws for both Wigan and Ipswich this meant the Lads climbed to the top of the table for the first time since the Burnley game and just at the right time to launch a final push for promotion.
Man of the Match: Steven Caldwell
Matthew Woolston