Black Cats have got claws now as hotshots hit target
ALEX NEIL looks to have found a strikeforce to cause havoc in the Championship.
While Everton loanee Ellis Simms took the plaudits for marking his debut with two goals, the Sunderland boss was also full of praise for last season’s top scorer Ross Stewart, who headed the winner.
“I thought the pair of them were absolutely outstanding,” said Neil.
“They never gave
Bristol’s back-three a moment’s peace.
“Ellis is strong and linked the game for us, but he is rare because he is also really quick. We signed him to push Ross, but also to play alongside him and give us a different dynamic, which was there for all to see today.
“Ross also showed his attributes and we now have two lads up top, who we can play the ball up to and both have goals in them.”
Simms needed less than four minutes to shoot his first Black Cats goal with a low right-footed finish after Stewart had won the ball on the edge of the box.
But City bounced back to lead, Andreas Weimann firing his second goal of the campaign in the 10th minute, before setting up Chris Martin to bundle home a cross from the right six minutes into the second half.
The cheers of home fans in a sell-out 24,500 crowd had barely died down when Simms drove a shot between goalkeeper Dan Bentley’s legs from 10 yards to level.
It then took a brilliant Bentley save to deny the rampaging forward a hat-trick as Sunderland piled on the pressure.
And the large contingent of travelling fans were in ecstasy when Stewart rose to nod the winner from Alex Pritchard’s 72nd-minute cross.
The goal left City with no points to show from their first two games. They lost midfielder Matty James to an injury in the warm-up, Han-noah Massengo taking his place.
Boss Nigel Pearson admitted his side will need to improve vastly on a fragile defensive display.
“If we continue to defend like that, it will be a long season,” he said. “Last week at Hull we were unlucky, but I certainly can’t say that today.
“The goals we let in were really poor.
“That’s five we have now conceded in two games and we have to be better.
“We had the chance to show a big crowd what we are about and didn’t take it.
“To score twice at home and not take anything from the game is disappointing.
“Losing Matty before the game didn’t help but it is not a day for excuses.”