Cats’ grand finale just Stewpendous
SUNDERLAND gave owner-inwaiting Stewart Donald a taste of what awaits him on Wearside as they thrashed Premier League-bound Wolves at the Stadium of Light.
Donald and his fellow consortium-member Charlie Methven flew in by helicopter and watched the game from an executive box - and the Black Cats could hardly have made a better first impression.
Goals from loanees Ovie Ejaria and Ashley Fletcher gave the Wearsiders a deserved 2-0 half-time lead and Paddy McNair added the third midway through the second period.
With Wolves already confirmed as champions, and Sunderland’s place at the foot of the table also a foregone conclusion, pride was the only thing at stake for the Black Cats – while the visitors were hoping to pass the 100-point mark.
Yet Sunderland bowed out with a fine display as they ended their six-game winless streak and clocked up only their third home win of the season.
In doing so, the hosts – who fought out a goalless draw at Molineux in December – became the only side to avoid defeat against the champions this season - and also the only team to have kept clean sheets against them home and away.
Sunderland were utterly dominant in the first period.
They were by far the better team, led 2-0 at the interval, and could easily have doubled that advantage.
McNair, Joel Asoro and Ejaria all had chances in the opening quarter-hour but could not make them count.
However, on 19 minutes Ejaria could not miss when McNair’s cross from the right found Molyneux at the far postand his low shot was spilled by Wolves’ goalkeeper Norris straight to the midfielder six yards out.
Norris was a busy man in the first half, saving from Fletcher and Ejaria, while Oviedo sent a shot across the face of goal 10 minutes before the break.
Wolves only effort of the half came from Ruben Neves but Jason Steele was untroubled as the shot from the edge of the box cleared the bar. Sunderland hit Wolves on the counter-attack two minutes before half-time when Fletcher picked up the ball inside the centre-circle and charged through the middle, leaving two defenders at sixes and sevens - but then dragged his shot wide of the target.
However, on the stroke of halftime, the on-loan Middlesbrough man scored the goal his performance deserved.
Ethan Robson’s ball into the left-hand corner of the penalty area looked like an easy one for either Danny Batth or the hapless Norris – who had come racing off his line – to deal with, but Fletcher nipped between the pair of them and lobbed the ball into the gaping goal.
Wolves improved in the second period and Steele made a good save to push Jota’s shot from a tight angle round the post.
However, Sunderland came back strongly and Norris was left to breathe a sigh of relief when he came off his line and clattered into Ejaria, the Sunderland man staying on his feet when had he gone to ground it would have been a certain penalty.
Sunderland killed the game off with a third goal on 66 minutes, McNair embarking on a mazy run across the box which saw him sidestep two challenge before rolling his left-foot finish past Norris into the net from 12 yards out