BLACK CATS NEED THAT OLD MAC MAGIC!
JACK ROSS is hoping Aiden McGeady’s international quality will prove crucial as Sunderland’s promotion push approaches its climax.
McGeady’s 67th-minute finish shattered some stout Wimbledon resistance, and lifted the Black Cats back to within three points of the automatic promotion places.
While plenty of attention has been focused on the four signings who arrived at the Stadium of Light last month, Ross feels McGeady’s attacking prowess could be key to his side’s hopes.
The Sunderland boss said: “He was really bright. He’s proven the quality he has. In the first half we were too short and too narrow, but in the second half we got wider a bit more, and that’s where the goal comes from.
“It’s all right having width, but you need that special bit of quality when it gets there, and Aiden has done that a lot for us this season. I’ve really enjoyed working with him. Players are all different, but he cares. He cares about his football and his standards.”
AFC Wimbledon remain rooted to the foot of the table, but while his players were unable to replicate the performance that enabled them to knock West Ham United out of the FA Cup last weekend, manager Wally Downes was happy with his side’s efforts.
He said: “The result didn’t go for us, but the boys performed very well.”
The Black Cats handed debuts to January signings Grant Leadbitter and Lewis Morgan, but the hosts were under the cosh in the early stages.
Wimbledon should have scored in the eighth minute. The ball dropped invitingly for Will Nightingale after the Sunderland defence failed to deal with a corner, but he blazed over from six yards.
Nightingale went close again shortly before the half-hour mark, this time inadvertently, with Reece James’s hurried clearance cannoning into him before rebounding just past a post.
Sunderland failed to record a single effort at goal in the first half, but when they finally located the target in the 67th minute, they made it count.
Tennai Watson made a mess of dealing with a routine long ball over the top, and having seized possession on the left-hand corner of the box, McGeady curled a fine finish into the far corner.
AFC Wimbledon came close to claiming an equaliser with six minutes left, but Jon McLaughlin got down well to keep out Scott Wagstaff ’s low shot.
Downes thought there could have been more to the incident. He said: “It was a good opportunity when (Scott) Wagstaff went through. He showed great balance to get between two players. All of a sudden he becomes unbalanced. The referee said he didn’t see a trip, but what he didn’t see was a pull on his arm.”