Cats take deserved lead – but test is yet to come
“ALL you’ve got to do is keep the unbeaten run going,” suggested the questioner with a smile.
“Yeah – sounds easy, doesn’t it?” came Alex Neil’s wry response.
The exchange summed up the situation perfectly.
Sunderland have one foot in the play-off final after their first leg win against Sheffield Wednesday at the Stadium of Light, but the idea that Monday’s return at Hillsborough would be a mere formality could not be further from the truth.
The Black Cats’ victory extended their unbeaten run to 14 games, and they have not lost away from home in any of the seven road trips Neil has overseen.
But, for all their dominance on their own patch against Wednesday, they hold only a slender 1-0 lead and can expect the Owls to throw everything but the kitchen sink at them in South Yorkshire.
Sunderland’s job is only half-complete and the toughest part is yet to come – not for nothing is the semifinalist that finishes higher in the league table given the right to play at home in the second leg.
That said, it is certainly advantage Sunderland after the first leg and they are now one clean sheet away from a fourth visit to Wembley – and a second play-off final – in four years.
Sunderland were excellent on Friday night, roared on by a crowd of more than 44,700 – a record for an English play-off semi-final – and the only disappointment was that they were unable to add further goals to give themselves a more comfortable cushion.
Neil’s decision to switch from the back three he has used in recent weeks to a 4-2-3-1 system wrongfooted Wednesday, and it gave Sunderland more creativity going forward with Patrick Roberts, Alex Pritchard, and Jack Clarke the trio playing behind Ross Stewart.
The first half was tight, with Sunderland into a mistake, and ran through to finish controlling the lion’s share of at the second attempt after possession and territory, albeit Bailey Peacock-farrell had clear-cut chances were blocked his initial effort proving difficult to with his legs. carve out against a It was Stewart’s 25th five-man Owls goal of the season, defence that sat and it almost lifted deep. the roof off the Stadium
The breakthrough of Light. came on Sunderland the stroke of halftime deserved their as Sunderland lead, and they had broke quickly chances to extend out of defence, it in the second half with Dennis Cirkin as Pritchard curled a – who was back in the shot against the bar, side after injury – playing Cirkin headed a glorious the ball into the left chance over from eight yards, channel for Stewart to chase, he and Peacock-farrell tipped over pressured defender Sam Hutchinson another effort from Pritchard.
The keeper then almost gifted Stewart a second goal with a misdirected clearance which was picked up by the Scot, but this time he dragged his shot wide.
In the final 15 minutes, Wednesday began to apply some pressure but centre-backs Bailey Wright and Danny Batth stood firm, and Anthony Patterson did not have a meaningful save to make.
Afterwards, Wednesday boss Darren Moore said that for his team it was a question of staying in the game, and ensuring they were still in the contest when it will be their turn to be backed by a sell-out crowd at Hillsborough.
Moore’s men are still very much alive.
It is up to Sunderland to finish them off.
Sunderland’s job is only half-complete
and the toughest part is yet to come
James Hunter