PURRFE CT 10 FOR CATS
LEE JOHNSON’S return to Bristol held no terrors as Joey Barton’s Rovers failed to produce a bite to match their boss’s touchline bark.
Aiden McGeady set up Aiden O’Brien for the only goal of the game as Sunderland kept up their promotion push by extending their unbeaten league run to 10 matches.
Johnson left Bristol City last summer after five years in charge of Rovers’ rivals and could have been forgiven for fearing fate had something up its sleeve in the prickly form of Barton.
Rovers’ outspoken boss had raised some eyebrows beforehand by claiming it was “about time” Sunderland got their act together, grinding an axe that only he seemed to know why he was holding.
Barton’s side are fighting to avoid a different kind of chop – relegation to League Two – and this defeat means they remain two points from safety.
The former Fleetwood boss has now been in charge for 10 games, but with only two wins and seven defeats, he’s got plenty on his plate. R disciplined and com much of this ga switched off before when they conceded
Aiden McGeady – threat for Sunderlan touch, know-how a delivery – sent the Rovers’ box and O’ left unchallenged to
The Black Cats h vive a couple of late s Rovers’ threat was a ant on graft n
The win wa land’s fifth in six games – a leaves them points behin placed Pete with a game in
“I am delig frustrated in e sure, as we c made it easie
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We have 30 points to play for and we have put ourselves in a great position... but our first objective is a play-off place
Aiden and Aiden combine to keep up unbeaten run
overs were mitted for ame, but
half-time d a corner. a constant nd with his and expert e ball into Brien was score. ad to surscares, but always reliot guile. as Sundertheir last surge that only two d secondrborough n hand. ghted and equal meaould have er for ourselves,” admitted Johnson. “But we had fire in our belly and ice in our heads. We got the goal, which was an important one and in particular the timing of it, which allowed us to settle.
“I don’t think we had too many scares in the second half, which was impressive because they are a team fighting for their lives. We have 30 points to play for and we have put ourselves in a great position.
“But our first objective is to try and secure a play-off place and then go from there.”
Barton claimed Rovers should have had an injury-time penalty when there was a clash of heads between Sunderland’s
Luke O’Nien and Brandon Hanlon, but it seemed a stretch.
“I don’t want to say too much about officials as I will end up getting suspended or fined,” said Barton. “There were lots of things that pleased me today in terms of our competitiveness against one of the big clubs.
“But I came in here in February and I am trying to win games with other people’s players, so that is going to take time.” Neither side was able to BRISTOL ROVERS: Jaakkola 8; Williams 5, Kilgour 7 (Baldwin 80), Grant 6, Leahy 6; Martinez 6; McCormick 6; Westbrooke 5 (Oztumer 71, 5), Walker 6 (Barrett 76, 5), Hanlan 5; Ayunga 6 (Tutonda 76, 5). Unused subs: Day, Daly, Hare, Barrett. SUNDERLAND: Burge 6; Power 7, Sanderson 7 O’Nien 6, McFadzean 6, Winchester 7, Scowen 6; O’Brien 7 (Stewart 66, 6), McGeady 8, Gooch 6 (Leadbitter 66, 6); Wyke 6.
Unused subs: Matthews, Maguire, Diamond, Neil, Younger. MAN OF THE MATCH: Aiden McGeady. Enough guile and craft to thrive above the scrappers. REFEREE: Ollie Yates 7. create much in the way of clearcut chances in a frenetic first half that was low on finesse.
Rovers had their moments, but their weaponry was easily kept at long range and their shooting lacked the accuracy to bother Black Cats’ Lee Burge.
Sunderland slowly started to dominate, even though their efforts on goal were also wayward with O’Brien heading over after Lynden Gooch forced Anssi Jaakkola into a reaction save.
It needed more calm in the finishing department – or an obliging defence – and seven minutes before the interval, O’Brien found both.
A corner from the right was watched with casual indifference by the entire Rovers defence. Which left a grateful O’Brien to steer the ball home for his sixth goal of the season.