Late, late show keeps Cats on course to go up
SUNDERLAND came from behind to see off ten-man Oxford United and stay on course for promotion.
The Black Cats fell behind to James Henry’s goal midway through the first period but Lynden Gooch levelled in injury-time before the break.
Oxford were left shorthanded for the final half-hour of the match when Mark Sykes was sent off for a second bookable offence.
From there Sunderland took control, Jordan Jones rattling the woodwork as they pressed for a winner.
Aiden McGeady completed the turnaround in the final ten minutes and Max Power added a third in injury time to kill off any hopes of an Oxford fightback.
With top two Hull City and Peterborough both scoring late winners, there was no change at the top of League One.
Sunderland stay third, three points behind leaders Hull but with two games in hand on the Tigers.
They are two points behind second-placed Peterborough with one game in hand on the Posh - a trip to London Road next up for Sunderland on Easter Monday.
Lee Johnson made two changes to the side which started last weekend’s 1-0 win at Bristol Rovers.
Conor McLaughlin was available again after returning from international duty with Northern Ireland, and he came straight into the starting XI at right-back.
That allowed Power to move into midfield, with Carl Winchester making way.
The other change saw fitagain Jones restored to the side after recovering from a hamstring injury, the on-loan Rangers winger replacing Aiden O’Brien.
Sunderland dominated possession in the first half but struggled to make an impact in front of goal.
A training-ground corner routine saw McGeady drill the ball to Jones who had found space on the penalty spot - but he miskicked and the chance was gone.
Oxford looked a threat on the counter and took the lead on 21 minutes.
McGeady gave the ball away cheaply deep inside the Oxford half on the right flank and Brandon Barker surged forward through the centre before feeding a pass to Henry on the right corner of the box.
His low shot went across galkeeper Lee Burge and into the bottom left-hand corner.
Towards the end of the half, Sunderland began to ask more questions and McGeady saw a free-kick from 25 yards out clawed out of the top right-hand corner.
The equaliser came two minutes into added time at the end of the first period, Luke O’Nien’s raking crossfield pass releasing Jones down the right.
He then produced a brilliant trick to go past James Hanson on the right edge of the box and threaded the ball through the legs of Rob Atkinson at the near post for Gooch to stab home from three yards.
Both sides had spells of pressure after half-time but could not carve out a clear-cut chance.
However, the second half sprang into life on the hour.
First it took a brilliant tackle from Atkinson to prevent Charlie Wyke getting a shot away inside the box.
Oxford immediately broke downfield and as Sykes tried to reach a loose ball he caught O’Nien, leaving referee Trevor
Kettle with no alternative but to show him a second yellow card and therefore a red.
Wyke then set up Gooch inside the area but his shot flashed across the face of goal.
Jones then rattled the crossbar from the edge of the box as Sunderland continued to turn up the heat.
The Black Cats finally made the breakthrough nine minutes from time when a quickly-taken free-kick eventually found its way to Gooch inside the box and he found McGeady on the edge of the area, who fired a shot into the bottom right-hand corner.
In the fourth minute of injury time the Wearsiders wrapped things up with a breakaway goal as Wyke found Power galloping through the middle and he slotted home.