JACK’S JOY AS BLACK CATS STAY IN HUNT
JACK ROSS was delighted his Sunderland side claimed victory over relegation-threatened Walsall in difficult conditions before they hit a break from League One duty.
The Black Cats are now two points behind second-placed Barnsley and already have a game in hand with nine matches remaining.
Ross’ side are not back in league action until the trip to Accrington on April 2 because of international callups and the final of the Checkatrade Trophy at Wembley.
But Sunderland have hit the break on the back of a win courtesy of a goal in each half from Lee Cattermole and Will Grigg.
The Saddlers took an early lead when Josh Gordon flicked a George Dobson free-kick into the Black Cats net in the fourth minute.
Dean Keates’ side were very much in it even when Lee Cattermole’s back post volley found its way to the net after hitting the woodwork and bodies on the line in the 32nd minute. That was Cattermole’s sixth of the season.
But Sunderland created the better of the chances. Grigg, Grant Leadbitter and Max Power all had fantastic opportunities to put the home side ahead before the crucial second did arrive with 19 minutes remaining.
Just seconds after former Bradford striker Charlie Wyke was introduced, his first touch was to lay the ball off for Grigg to take command.
The Northern Ireland international, a £4m arrival from Wigan, knocked the ball in front of him before finding the inside of goalkeeper Liam Roberts’ bottom left corner.
Ross said: “I’m delighted, it’s a big win for us in difficult conditions again, like Tuesday was at Barnsley. We had to find a way to win.
“I’m disappointed the way we started, some of the defending, satisfied with the number of opportunities and to win from a losing position.
“We had been knocking on the door for a period at that time. It was fair when we went in level at half-time and I just wanted them to keep going. It is very easy to be critical as a manager, but overall to see out the game and get three points is good.”
Walsall manager Keates is determined to lift his team out of the bottom four after this defeat saw them drop back in.
Keates said: “We are three points off 12th place. But it’s disappointing. We don’t want to be in there. But there are going to be a lot of twists and turns over the next eight games. We are confident in ourselves, we have the belief that we will get ourselves out of it.
“We gambled in the last 10 minutes. We had an attack, we tried to put their backs to the wall, but the final ball into the box wasn’t good enough.”