Cats boss happy to make it backto-back wins with ‘edgy’ victory
Lee Johnson hailed Sunderland’s first back-to-back wins in League One since November as his side came through an ‘edgy’ contest to beat Ipswich Town.
The Black Cats were handed a major advantage in the opening minutes of the game when Kayden Jackson saw red for a late challenge on Bailey Wright.
Sunderland were frustrated in the first half, Johnson conceding that he was eager to ‘settle’ his side at half-time.
They took the lead moments before the break through Charlie Wyke, and a strong start to the second half should have yielded a second.
Ipswich Town rallied to pose questions towards the end, but consecutive clean sheets have lifted the Black Cats back towards the promotion contenders.
“It’s a massive result and it completes back-to-back wins,” Johnson said.
“It was a bit edgy, the sending off in the first half was pivotal, but they [Ipswich] did really well because they forced us into central, straight passes and we took the bait.
“It took us until half-time to settle the lads both emotionally and in terms of the team shape.
“We told them they needed more width, to feel the five zones across the pitch, and to manage the game a bit better.
“I’d have liked to have scored a second goal – if you don’t, it always makes it a little bit hairy in the last five or ten minutes because they can throw caution to the wind.
“But generally we saw the game out well with good possession, and it was another clean sheet.”
As at Shrewsbury, some occasionally very fluid attacking play was balanced against moments when the Black Cats struggled for momentum.
Johnson is eager to draw more from his players but insists he is seeing good signs.
“We have got quality, we have got that movement in the box now, the timing is good, and that has been consistent over the last five or six games,” he said.
“You have to remember how many ups and downs we have had with Covid and all that, so what we have to do now is build something.
“Goochy turned up today just 11 days after he had tested positive – we hadn’t seen him at all beforehand.
“He came on but of course he was a bit rusty, and Luke O’Nien came on and got a few more minutes.”
Johnson is encouraged by the progress his side is making and says they have to find different ways to win games as they implement his longterm philosophy.
“You have to win games,” he said.
"A lot of the things that we do well are things that people won’t think about because it is the detail rather than anything.
“It’s the times we slide the ball up the channel, the small movements, we’re definitely not at full slickness at the moment but in this league you don’t get it all your own way.
“We have to be able to win games of football a number of ways and in the last couple we showed that we can dog it, as well as play when we need to.”