Cats failed to break Stanley down with Embleton in a more defensive role
While playing away at Wycombe just a week ago, Sunderland looked like scoring nearly every time they attacked – especially in the second half as the game opened up.
The combination play of Ross Stewart, Alex Pritchard, Lyn den Goo cha nd Elliott Embl et on gave Lee Johnson’ ss idea real threat in the final third – yet that was hard to replicate at Accrington Stanley seven days later.
Like Wycombe, Stanley were a physical side, who started the game by pressing from the front, making it challenging for Sunderland to play out from the back.
Operating in a 4-2-3-1 system, like Sunderland, Stanley’s central midfielders Matt Butcher and Ethan Hamilton were key in the host’s game plan as they backed up play behindtowering front man Col by Bishop.
Despite seeing more of the ball, Sunderland found it difficult to break out of their own half in the opening 45 minutes, with Accrington pressing and dropping off as a unit.
It meant Black Cats playmaker Pritchard, who was a doubt before the game and was replaced at half-time, found it challenging to get into the contest.
Inevitably, Accrington began to retreat in the second half as Sunderland began to see more of the ball up and around the halfway line, yet Stanley goalkeeper Toby Savin didn’t have too many saves to make.
With Corry Evans still absent, Embleton, who enjoyed a fine game at Wycombe in a more advanced position, dropped back into a central midfield role alongside Dan Neil.
But while Embl et on recorded 69 touches against Stanley – only Dennis Cirkin (70) registered more – the playmaker struggled to make as much of an impact.
The midfielder did create some promising overloads on the flanks, yet only six of his attempted 40 passes were directed into the final third.
Without the defensive security of Evans alongside him, Neil also had to take up a deeper position and often found himself in similar spaces to centre-backs Call um Doyle and Tom Flanagan when Sunderland were in possession.
While the visitors did manageto open the scoring courtesy of Aid en O’Brien’s deflected effort, Stanley’s compactness out of possession made it challenging for Sunderland to break them down.
In that respect, there were similarities to the 3-1 defeat by Lincoln four days’ earlier.