ROSS HAILS HIS HUNGRY BLACK CATS
JACK Ross saluted his Sunderland players for the way they returned to winning ways against Accrington Stanley to move up to fifth place.
The Black Cats lost 3-0 to Peterborough last time out, before the international break, but they were clinical at the Wham Stadium.
Stanley opened the scoring after seven minutes when Jordan Clark drove home.
Sunderland replied two minutes later through a Lynden Gooch volley.
It was 2-1 after 26 minutes when Aiden McGeady rifled home and, 10 minutes later, Marc McNulty stroked the ball into the back of an empty net.
“The one thing about this group is, every time questions have been asked of us, we have responded,” said Ross.
“We worked hard in all areas of the game. We stressed we needed to be ruthless in the final third and we have showed it in training, we have very good forward players and we took it into the game and they were quality goals.
“We have had to wait two weeks after the Peterborough defeat so to come back and produce that result is pleasing. The league table looks healthier for us, but we have to stay grounded through good and the occasional bad results. Overall, it has been a good start to the season.”
Stanley opened the scoring after seven minutes when Joe Pritchard found Clark, who fired the ball past Jon McLaughlin.
Sunderland replied two minutes later with Denver Hume’s left-wing cross finding Gooch, who volleyed home.
McGeady then got among the goals, receiving the ball on the edge of the area before rifling it into the top corner of the net for his third goal of the campaign.
Stanley were a threat, though, and a Colby Bishop deflected shot hit the crossbar after 34 minutes.
Sunderland made it three two minutes later when Chris Maguire broke and passed to an unmarked McNulty, who stroked the ball into the empty net.
Sunderland then hit the woodwork after 41 minutes after Luke O’Nien’s header from a corner was deflected on to a post.
Stanley manager John Coleman was furious with his side’s defending – they have conceded 15 goals so far this season.
“We beat ourselves,” said Coleman. “People will laud their clinical finishing and having good players, but we have got to learn quickly as a team. We did not defend properly and quality players like they have will punish you. “We had a great start and then went to sleep for the equaliser. “Then they have scored two more without getting out of bed and, until we improve defensively, we are going to struggle.”