HERO VAUGHAN HAS THE TYNE OF HIS LIFE
NEWCASTLE 0 SUNDERLAND 3 SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
David Vaughan labelled his St James’s Park stunner as the best goal of his career after putting the icing on Sunderland’s memorable 3-0 victory over Newcastle United.
Substitute Vaughan broke his duck for the season in spectacular fashion, capping the first win of Paolo Di Canio’s reign with a sizzling left-footed strike into the top corner.
It was only the third time the Welsh international has scored for Sunderland, yet his maiden goal in 2011/12 was also a crucial one after netting the equaliser in the 2-1 victory over Blackburn, in Martin O’Neill’s first game in charge.
But Vaughan said that scoring against the Magpies went straight to the top of his personal highlights after helping Sunderland to their first win on Tyneside since 2000.
Vaughan told the Echo: “Have I scored any better than that? Probably not, just due to the occasion of it.
“To score away at Newcastle is something that you don’t top. I just tried to hit it across the keeper and make him make a save.
“Luckily, it went exactly where I wanted it to go.
“I’d say it probably tops the goal against Blackburn – it was an important goal to score.
“I got mobbed afterwards, though I didn’t really know what was going on!
“But that shows the togetherness we’ve got in the team now, so hopefully we can build on that.”
Victory – the first of six successive derby wins for the Black Cats – lifted Sunderland three points above the drop zone as Vaughan followed up cracking strikes from Stephane Sessegnon and Adam Johnson to sink the home side.
Vaughan added: “It was nice not to be hanging in there at the end for a change.
“The lads played really well in the first half and got a goal ahead, which we deserved. We learned from the Chelsea game (a 2-1 loss in Di Canio’s first match in charge) and came out in the second half and took the game to them rather than sitting back.”