Jack backs Black Cats attack to get goals

SUNDERLAND manager Jack Ross says everyone at the club is learning how to handle life in League One.

The Black Cats boss watched his team make it four wins in a row by extending an unbeaten run to seven games after overcoming Southend United at the Stadium of Light.

George Honeyman’s header in the 29th minute was followed by a stunning 30-yard drive from Chris Maguire seven minutes after the break. Irish substitute Aiden McGeady capped the win with a third with 10 minutes remaining.

It was a win that lifted Sunderland to within three points of leaders Portsmouth and they remain a point behind second-placed Peterborough United.

Ross, whose side kept a third clean sheet in a row, said: “We are learning this league isn’t easy; today’s performance, this type of game, would have caused us problems before.

“We would have been spooked by it a bit more, against a good side, but we are learning as a club. We have learned not to concede during difficult periods and then we know we will have passages in a game where we will score.” Southend boss Chris Powell felt a firsthalf penalty claim that was waved away when Sunderland were ahead, after Tom Flanagan wiped out Dru Yearwood, proved costly.

He said: “I think the game-changing moment is the penalty incident with Dru. That’s a big, big moment in the game. The second goal’s a hell of a strike. We created more chances and had more efforts on target.”

They forced a couple of decent saves from Jon McLaughlin in the Sunderland goal, but Southend couldn’t do anything about the in-form Black Cats at the other end.

Honeyman’s glancing header from Lynden Gooch’s cross in the 29th minute got things rolling before Maguire’s thunderbolt seven minutes into the second half effectively sealed the points.

McGeady drilled a low left-foot effort inside Mark Oxley’s bottom-left corner following Josh Maja’s lay-off to set the seal on a big win.

Powell said: “If you’ve got the quality of McGeady coming on, but they’re in League One, you have to believe … we knew exactly what we would come up against.”