Steady improvement continues for squad
IN a weekend when takeover talk broke out on Wearside, the only takeover Sunderland fans want to see is at the top of League One.
Rumours of Chinese and American groups poised to make their move in the summer were quickly knocked down by Sunderland co-owner Charlie Methven.
But the chances of a new name at the top of the table come May are not so easily dismissed.
At least, not if Sunderland maintain the steady improvement that saw them ease past form team Plymouth Argyle by a 2-0 scoreline that significantly underplayed the Black Cats’ dominance.
This win was Sunderland’s third on the bounce, and it saw the Black Cats break a 55-yearold record for the club’s best start to a calendar year.
It extended their unbeaten run to 13 games in all competitions since the turn of the year, eclipsing the 12-game unbeaten sequence at the beginning of 1964 in the season Jimmy Montgomery, Charlie Hurley, Len Ashurst, and the rest helped the club win promotion for the first time in its history.
Sunderland still have ground to make up if they are to force their way into the automatic promotion places.
Leaders Luton Town and second-placed Barnsley both won again, meaning Sunderland stay third and this victory merely saw them keep pace with their promotion rivals.
Luton remain seven points ahead of them and Barnsley two points, but the Black Cats have a game in hand of both sides and that keeps them within reach of the Tykes and affords the opportunity to close the gap on the Hatters and put them under pressure in the runin.
And with a dozen games remaining, Sunderland are showing signs that they are hitting their stride after stumbling a little in January and early February when they were drawing too many games for comfort.
Improved performances against Blackpool and Accrington Stanley at the Stadium of Light last month pointed the way, even if wins still proved elusive.
But a resounding 4-2 victory over Gillingham on Wearside was backed up by a 2-0 win on the road against Bristol Rovers, and now this.
Sunderland’s football in the first half was among the best they have produced this season, and the only surprise was that Lee Cattermole’s goal – set up by on-loan Celtic winger Lewis Morgan, who ran Plymouth ragged in that opening period - was all they had to show for it at the break.
Argyle keeper Kyle Letheren was the man who prevented them from running away with it, frustrating Aiden McGeady on a couple of occasions and also Will Grigg.
Plymouth improved in the second half but still Sunderland rarely looked in any danger as Jon McLaughlin went on to keep a second successive clean sheet.
Skipper George Honeyman finally killed the game off a couple of minutes from time, and even then Sunderland could and should have added more goals had they been more ruthless in added time.
Sunderland’s focus will now shift to Tuesday’s Checkatrade Trophy semi-final at Bristol Rovers and Jack Ross will have to strike the right balance between resting key men and giving squad players some gametime – as he has done in every previous round – without letting the prospect of a date with Portsmouth at Wembley slip through his fingers.
But whatever happens in midweek, promotion remains the star prize and Sunderland are gathering momentum.
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