Cats hit goal trail at last to move up table
WILL Grigg got off the mark and Lee Cattermole scored his first goal at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland saw off Gillingham to move up to third place in the table.
There were three goals inside the opening 10 minutes as Cattermole put his side ahead, only for Tom Eaves to level, and then Tom Flanagan restored the Black Cats’ advantage, again from a corner.
But Brandon Hanlan hauled the Gills level for a second time just before the break.
Deadline-day £4m signing Grigg scored from the penalty spot midway through the second half after Luke O’Nien had been brought down, and O’Nien then won the second penalty inside the final 15 minutes which Aiden McGeady converted to make the game safe.
The win lifted Sunderland up to third in the table, bringing them to within four points of second-placed Barnsley and nine of leaders Luton Town, with a game in hand of both.
Goalscorers Cattermole and Flanagan were among three changes Jack Ross made to the side that started Friday night’s draw against Accrington Stanley, replacing Lynden Gooch and Jack Baldwin.
The third change saw Chris Maguire start after his gamechanging introduction from the bench against Accrington, but this time his evening was cut short due to injury after less than 20 minutes.
Gillingham boss Steve Lovell made one change to the side that began the weekend win over Scunthorpe United.
He brought in Darren Oldaker in place of Billy Bingham.
Just as at Priestfield in August, the game exploded into life with a flurry of early goals.
First Cattermole met Grant Leadbitter’s right-wing corner at the far post to fire Sunderland in front with only five minutes on the clock.
But within 60 seconds the
Gills were level as Eaves rounded Jon McLaughlin and slotted home from inside the area after seizing on Hanlan’s deflected shot.
Sunderland were immediately on the attack once more, with O’Nien seeing a shot blocked and soon afterwards Maguire sent a low effort wide of the target.
Leadbitter was the provider once more as the Black Cats went back in front in the 10th minute, this time sending in a corner from the left which Flanagan nodded home from close range.
Maguire hobbled off soon after the quarter-hour to be replaced by Gooch.
The game settled down for a spell, with Sunderland dominant although unable to add to their lead.
And Gillingham levelled for a second time five minutes before the break when Sunderland failed to clear a corner from the left, Leo da Silva Lopes’ shot deflected into the path of Hanlan and he had time to control before applying the finish from 12 yards. Gooch tested Tomas Holy from range shortly before the interval but his shot was at the big straight keeper. At the start of the second half McLaughlin parried a 25-yard effort from Lopes and Sunderland’s defence had to be alert to clear the danger before a blue shirt could reach the loose ball.
Sunderland gradually began to take control once more and Leadbitter saw a low shot pushed away by Holy just before the hour.
Then on 66 minutes O’Nien was bundled over inside the area by Lopes and referee Matt Donohue immediately pointed to the penalty spot.
Grigg stepped up to convert, sending his shot straight down the middle as the keeper dived to his right.
McGeady saw a couple of shots saved by Holy as Sunderland sought the fourth goal that would kill the game off.
And that goal duly arrived in the 77th minute, again from the penalty spot, with O’Nien this time brought down by substitute Regan Charles-Cook.
McGeady stepped up to convert the kick, scoring with a near-perfect replica of Grigg’s earlier effort.
George Honeyman almost added a fifth inside the final 10 minutes but Holy made an excellent save to tip his effort over the bar.