True grit earned win for Black Cats

BOSS PRAISES DETERMINATION AND NEVER-SAY-DIE ATTITUDE

ALEX Neil has saluted his side’s ‘resilience’ and ‘never-say-die’ attitude after they scored another late winner to keep their play-off challenge on course.

The Black Cats scored in the 95th minute to beat Gillingham on Wearside last weekend, and followed that with an 89th minute winner at play-off rivals Oxford United.

Elliot Embleton came off the bench to score the decisive goal in the 2-1 win at the Kassam Stadium, and Neil says his side is showing the same qualities that he believes he had as a player.

“What you always want to see in your team is a reflection of yourself,” said Neil, whose side has climbed back into the top six following the win at Oxford.

“In recent weeks I would think that that resilience that I would like to think that I had as a player, you can see on the pitch at the moment. And all credit to the lads for that, because that doesn’t come easily.

“It’s hard work, it’s grit, it’s determination, and a never-saydie attitude, and you can see that just now. That in itself takes you a long, long, way.”

Sunderland skipper Corry Evans put his side in front on the quarter-hour, but Elliott Moore levelled for the U’s before half-time. And the game looked destined to end allsquare until Embleton, who had entered the action just four minutes earlier, finished a slick move that had involved Jay Matete and Ross Stewart.

B u t Sunderland were also indebted to young goalkeeper Anthony Patterson who made several excellent saves to set the stage for the win.

“When you are playing teams at the top end of the division and everybody is vying for those [play-off] spots, those games are going to be defined by key moments,” said Neil.

“That’s going to be the difference between potentially winning or not winning. Embo [Embleton] has had a big part to play in terms of affecting games, whether that be an assist or a goal, and he popped up again with the winner today.

“All in all, I’m delighted with the three points and that’s the most important thing.”

Neil felt Sunderland lost the midfield battle in the first half, prompting him to make a change at the interval when he brought on Luke O’nien in place of Patrick Roberts.

He said: “We lost the midfield battle, it’s as simple as that.

“Physically, we lost the midfield battle. Even balls that dropped down, unfortunately for Patrick [Roberts] and Broady [Broadhead], what happened was that Corry and Jay were sitting so deep that they weren’t actually in the fight, so Oxford kept winning second balls.

“That’s on me, I didn’t get that element right, but we managed to see it through. In the first half, I thought our structure wasn’t as good as it could have been and should have been. I thought we looked really threatening but we didn’t have any control of the game, and that was disappointing from my point of view.

“But all credit to the players in the second half, because when you haven’t played well in the first half and then we’ve managed to change it and they have then gone on and really attacked the second half.

“I thought the second half was really even, but as the game drifted they started to bombard us with balls into our box and the only way I could really see them scoring was from a set-play, whether it be a throw-in or a corner, and that’s why I put Danny Batth on and I thought he helped us tremendously.”

Alex Pritchard was a notable absentee against Oxford, with the midfielder missing just a week after he made his comeback after a month on the sidelines with an ankle injury. Neil said Pritchard was suffering from a minor injury, but hopes to have him back in time for the Good Friday game against Shrewsbury Town at the Stadium of Light.

“Alex trained earlier in the week and said there was something just not quite right,” said Neil. “We got it scanned, and it’s not a big problem.

“I’m hopeful that he will be involved for the next game, but he just wasn’t ready today.

“I’ve worked with Al before so when he does tell you that something is not quite right, it’s not quite right.”

All in all, I’m delighted with the three points

and that’s the most important

thing

Alex Neil