Victory for the Black Cats keeps the pressure on at the top
Wyke and Sanderson use their heads to clinch points against Dale James Hunter
CHARLIE Wyke notched his 25th goal of the season as Sunderland beat Rochdale to keep the pressure on at the top of League One.
Dion Sanderson headed the Black Cats in front early on at the Stadium of Light, with Wyke adding the second goal 10 minutes before the break.
It was Wyke’s 20th league goal of the campaign and his 25th in all competitions, as his recent hot streak continued.
Rochdale arrived having won only one of their last 15 games, and having failed to score in their last five, but they looked a better side than those statistics would suggest.
And only a combination of some good goalkeeping from Lee Burge, robust defending, and an inexplicable miss from Jimmy Keohane prevented them getting on the scoresheet.
But for Sunderland this was their fifth win in a six-game unbeaten run.
They stay fourth in the table but, with Peterborough United slipping up and displaced by Hull City at the top on goal difference, the Wearsiders are now just five points behind the
leaders and they still have two games in hand of the Tigers.
Lee Johnson made two changes to the side that beat Swindon Town in midweek.
He handed 21-year-old defender Ollie Younger his League debut, replacing Lynden Gooch who underwent a fitness test this morning on the calf injury he suffered on Tuesday but was not ready to be included in the matchday 18.
Younger, a centre-back by
trade, played at right-back in a back four.
The other change saw Aiden O’brien return to the starting line-up, and he replaced Josh Scowen who dropped to the bench.
Rochdale boss Brian Barrymurphy made one change to the team that began Tuesday night’s defeat at Hull City.
Forward Kwadwo Baah came into the side in place of midfielder Alex Newbay.
Sunderland hit the ground running and took the lead after only seven minutes, after Aiden Mcgeady was brought down by Ryan Mclaughlin and won a free-kick on the byline on the left.
Mcgeady’s set-piece found Sanderson unmarked at the far post, and he was able to plant a firm header beyond Gavin Bazunu into the right side of the net.
The Black Cats almost doubled their lead just a couple of minutes later when Bazunu
spilled a longrange shot from Mcgeady and Jordan Jones got to the loose ball, but he was denied by a fine block just in front of the goalline from Keohane.
Rochdale did offer a threat on the counterattack, however, and when Baah brought the ball down inside the box, Luke O’nien stumbled but fell in front of the ball and made a crucial block in the process.
Eoghan O’connell saw a routine 25-yard effort saved by Burge as Rochdale continued to press forward.
Dale had not scored in five games but they should have ended that wait just after the half-hour when Mclaughlin’s low cross found Keohane six yards out but he somehow spooned his shot over the bar.
And two minutes later Sunderland gave themselves a two-goal cushion when Jones’ excellent early cross from the right flank found Wyke unmarked and he made no mistake with his header.
Still Dale pressed forward and Younger made a vital headed clearance to prevent Gabriel Osho pulling a goal back before the break.
An injury to Carl Winchester saw him replaced by Scowen shortly after half-time, with Chris Maguire also coming on in place of Younger.
A quick free-kick from Aaron Morley released Stephen Humphrys inside the box but Burge did very well to divert his shot wide.
Maguire tried to catch out Bazunu with a 35-yard freekick, but his effort flashed wide as the keeper scrambled across goal to cover.
There were half-chances at both ends in the latter stages, but Sunderland saw the game out to claim another clean sheet and another victory.
NEIL Warnock laughed off his comment that Swansea are benefiting from controversial refereeing decisions because manager Steve Cooper’s father Keith was a former topflight official.
Warnock’s Middlesbrough were beaten 2-1 at Swansea as Andre Ayew converted a penalty in the seventh minute of stoppage time – the second time in four days that the Welsh side have scored a late spot-kick to win.
“The penalty at Stoke the other night was scandalous,” Warnock said.
“They must be laughing their heads off at the minute but what goes around comes around. I’m sure we’ll see Swansea (in the Championship) next year.
“They can’t keep having that much luck with penalties. I don’t know if it’s Cooper’s dad who’s influencing this.
“He must have all the numbers. It’s the only thing I can think of but, joking apart, they can’t keep having like that.”
Warnock predicted he would receive another apology from referees’ boss Alan Wiley after Boro’s playoff hopes were dented.
Boro were denied a point – Sam Morsy had stuck at the start of injury time to cancel out Ayew’s first effort after 40 minutes – when referee Gavin Ward, having initially pointed for a corner, awarded Swansea a penalty.
The visitors were also denied what appeared a legitimate goal at the start of the second half when, with Swansea leading 1-0, Marc Bola’s longrange effort was disallowed.
“I’m sure I’ll get an apology now from Alan Wiley (referee director at Professional Game Match Officials Limited) as I’ve had three or four in the last six weeks,” Middlesbrough manager Warnock said.
“I’ve had that many
decisions
apologies
I don’t them.
“There were three things. (Ryan) Manning takes (Anfernee) Dijksteel out and not one of the officials see it. It’s a serious offence and he’s comes off injured, no booking and that’s wrong.
“With the goal he thought it was a free-kick to them, he hadn’t seen (Yannick) Bolasie won the ball. It’s either a penalty or a goal.
“I’m a little bit bewildered about the penalty. He pointed for a corner kick, but he assures me that when he thought about it that George didn’t get any of the ball and it was a penalty.
“I asked ‘why did you point to the corner flag? Were you guessing?.’ But that’s what he said.”
Swansea’s win took them above Brentford, who did not play, and into third place in the Sky Bet Championship – one point behind Watford with
know
what
to
do
with two games in hand.
“We have had a couple of penalties now, haven’t we?” Cooper said on having penalties in three consecutive games after going 25 league games without one.
“It’s a little bit ironic the timing of it, but I would be so disappointed if our players were making challenges like that at pivotal times in the game.
“Both decisions in both games I think were clear penalties and we have got Andre to put them away. It’s not rub of the green, it’s about spirit and hard work.”
Asked about Warnock’s comments on Swansea, Cooper replied: “All I care about is ourselves. I will only give comments on ourselves.
“I am not interested in other clubs, I never have been. I just make sure we keep our values and our class to what the community and the club deserve.”