Cats get back to Win-ning ways against Wimbledon
Carl Winchester’s deflected effort saw Sunderland get straight back to winning ways against AFC Wimbledon at the Stadium of Light.
A 1-0 scoreline reflected what had at times been a frustrating afternoon for Sunderland, who again carved out the majority of the chances through the game.
Particularly in the second half, their forward play was full of threat and intent, and the narrow scoreline barely reflected the ease with which they forged openings.
AFC Wimbledon had proved spirited opponents in the first half but created little in the second, even if Sunderland’s wastefulness made for a more tense end to the game than it ought to have been.
But the upshot was that Sunderland’s encouraging start to the campaign continued. There had been optimism despite defeat on Tuesday night, the quality of Sunderland’s forward play at Burton Albion reassuring most that steps were being taken in the right direction.
On Saturday, Sunderland were again bright and ambitious in the opening exchanges, seemingly not at all disrupted by a late change to their starting XI. With Lee Burge feeling a niggle in the warm-up, Anthony Patterson was handed a first league start and, though not called into action much through the first half, his composure and command of the box was impressive.
Sunderland forged the first chance when Lynden Gooch drove in from the right flank in trademark style, but his effort was weak and easily saved by NikTzanevint he visitors’ goal.
Though he would be by some distance the goalkeeper busiest in the first half, Sunderland did not build enough pressure and there was a slackness to their play throughout.
They almost fell behind when Dan Neil, restored to left back in order to give Dennis Cirkin a rest, miscued a clearance on the edge of the area.
The loose ball fell for Ethan C his let ton the edge of the area, and his effort was just inches away from finding the far corner. The Black Cats were dominating possession, but struggling to turn it into clear chances.
When they were able to build a spell of pressure around the Wimbledon box around 25 minutes in, it yielded the first real opening.
Ross Stewart was inches away from meeting an excellent cross from Neil, Tzanev just able to claw the ball away from danger. Sunderland recycledpossession and looked as if they would take the lead when Gooch burst into the box, but Tzanev did superbly to get a hand to his attempted chip.
Sunderland forged arguably the best chance of the half when Neil ought to have headed in Gooch’s floated cross to the back post but could only dive rt the ball wide, and a half of relative frustration was summed up when Aiden McGeady ended it by crossing from a threatening position high into the Roker End.
Sunderland started the second half brightly, and should have gone ahead when Gooch released Stewart through on goal and, though his connection was good, Tzanev was able to get down to his right and palm the shot clear of danger.
An even bigger opening came within minutes, McGeady freed down the left by a clever Alex Pr it cha rd pass. The Irishman picked his moment perfectly to float his cross to the back post, where Gooch nodded it wide just as Luke O’Nien looked set to convert behind him. Though Wimbledon were still seeing enough possession to threaten, Sunderland were creating more openings, and Elliot Embl et on forced another good save from Tzanev with a curling effort from the edge of the area.
The chances kept coming, Stewart releasing Pritchard through on goal after an excellent exchange with Callum Doyle. His effort had Tzanev comfortably beaten, but flew agonisingly wide of the far post.
The noise inside the Stadium of Light continued to rise as Sunderland turned the screw, though so too was the concern that, as had been the case against Burton, chances might not lead to that all-important goal.
When it did come, there was more than a slice of luck.
McGeady’s floated corner was cleared to Carl Winchester around 30 yards out, and after a couple of touches he fired a low drive towards goal. A major deflection w ron g-footedTzanev, who was finally beaten as the ball rolled into the far corner.
Winchester’s luck was earned, the Northern Irishman again impressive in his new right-back role.
The goal moved Sunderland into another gear, the Black Cats dominant as they went in search of a second. Both Neil and Doyle came close to turning another threatening Embleton corner goalward, before Stewart broke through on goal after another excellent piece of play from Winchester. The Scot just couldn’t clear the ball out of his feet in time, allowing the Wimbledon defence to clear. The visitors had created little, but the narrowness of the scoreline meant the margins would always be fine.
Sunderland were indebted to Neil, who cleared a header off the line as Patterson came and failed to gather. That was the only real scare of the closing stages, though Patterson did make one decent stop from Ollie Palmer with seconds left.