PLYMOUTH .............................................................. 0 McGeady makes it six of the best as Cats Ply their promotion wares
The first half was a tight affair with both sides struggling to create chances.
Maja stabbed wide as he fell on the edge of the six-yard box early on, while a couple of minutes later Chris Maguire saw a low, swerving, shot from range pushed away by Matt Macey.
At the o t h e r end,
n e a t footwork from Joel Grant saw him beat Tom F l a n a g a n near the byline on the left, but when h e tried to c a t c h McLaughl i n out at his near post the keeper dealt with his effort without too much trouble. rouble. Plymouth hit Sun Sunderland on the counter-attack just before the half-hour an and in-form Freddie Ladapo ran through on goal, but Flanagan raced back to p put the striker under pressure pres and shepherd the ball back to McLaughlin. McLaugh Gooch Go saw a deflected defl shot clawed cla away by Macey Ma for a corner, ne and skipper George Ge Honeyman m flashed a long-range lo shot past pa the post. Plymouth’s P best chance cha of the half came cam in added time when McLaughlin came to punch a high ball and got caught up in traffic, Niall Canavan won the header in front of the keeper ke and Antoni Sar Sarcevic sliced his volley wide from a narrow angle. a But Sunderland went nt in front on 53 minutes when McGeady Geady picked up the ball on the edge ge of the box and bent his shot beyond yond Macey’s despairing dive and into o the right side of the net.
Three minutes later, McGeouch made de a vital goal-line clearance to keep p out Yann Songo’o’s header from a corner. orner.
Plymouth lymouth had to come forward to try find a route back into the game, but they found McLaughlin in top form. m.
First, irst, the Scot threw himself fulllength gth to his left to tip a free-kick from m Graham Carey round the post.
And a minute later, McLaughlin got down to his right divert a shot from m Ladapo wide of the target.
But Sunderland weathered the storm rm and made sure of the points 12 minutes from time.
O’Nien was brought down inside the penalty area by Tafari Moore’s clumsy msy challenge and referee Carl Boyeson yeson immediately pointed to the spot, with McGeady stepping up to convert.