Neil’s game plan worked perfectly - but what if Cats concede first?
When Bailey Wright headed Sunderland ahead inside two minutes at the DW Stadium the dynamics of their League One fixture with Wigan changed significantly.
For the first time under Alex Neil, his fourth game in charge, the Black Cats had a lead to hold onto and executed their game plan perfectly to secure an unlikely 3-0 win.
Itwasanassuredawayperformance against a Wigan side who are well placed to win automatic promotion this season, with Sunderland showing the defensive steel and organisation they have lacked over recent months.
The Black Cats recorded just 41 per cent possession, their third lowest figure in League One season, and it appears Neil will put more emphasis on making the side tougher to penetrate.
Once they were ahead at Wigan, Sunderland were well-balanced and compact, pressing in the right areas while posing a threat on the counter attack.
The early goal also acted as a much-needed confidence booster, following a dismal run of just one win in ten matches.
When Sunderland have opened the scoring this season, they have often been excellent frontrunners, winning 15 of 20 league matches after taking the lead.
Four of the other five fixtures have ended in draws when the Black Cats have
scored first, while the only time they have lost was at Cheltenham in January, when the club were still looking for a new head coach.
Obviously a team is more likely to win when they score first, or lose when they concede the opening goal, yet there have been few exceptions for the Black Cats this season.
While they have been effective turning leads into wins, we’ve also seen this young side collapse on multiple occasions after falling behind.
When Sunderland have conceded first this season, they have won just two of 15 league games – against Wigan on the opening day of the campaign, when they drew level two minutes after conceding, and at a struggling
Gillingham side in October.
In the other fixtures where the Black Cats have gone behind, they have drawn four and lost nine, with the side falling apart during heavy defeats at Portsmouth, Rotherham and Bolton.
While the Wigan win represented a robust and controlled performance, it’s fair to say the game could have turned out very differently if the hosts had scored first.
Sunderland, under Neil’s guidance, have now shown they can close a game out convincingly against one of the best sides in the division, yet, with 11 league games remaining, it is likely Sunderland will have to come from behind again at some point.
While the results were extremely underwhelming, Sunderland did concede first before claiming 1-1 draws against AFC Wimbledon and Burton last month.
While it’s a scenario the Black Cats won’t want to find themselves in, it’s a situation they will have to be prepared for if they do fall behind.
With 11 league games remaining and the race for the play-offs incredibly close, there is little margin for error.