Sunderland under-23s collected an important three points in the capital on Monday evening as they saw off West Ham United.
It was a night of positives for Elliott Dickman’s men as Lee Connelly’s first-half goal proved to be enough to defeat the Hammers in East London.
Returning with a clean sheet as well, Jonny Williams clocked his first 90 minutes on his return from a dislocated shoulder which has kept him sidelined since November.
Here’s what was said post-match…
ELLIOTT DICKMAN
Elliott, it was an action-packed match – how did you assess it?
“Both teams were very committed and had a right good go at trying to win the game. I don’t think it was a game for the purist but there was plenty of commitment. There were plenty of challenges our players had to overcome. The senior lads – Steely, Jack Rodwell and Jonny Williams – were terrific. Jake Hackett did smashing, Connor Shields made his debut for the club and we couldn’t have asked for any more from him. Lee Connelly took his goal well but as a team we worked really hard. I was pleased because we have pointed the finger at the last couple of performances about commitment and team ethic, but tonight they have shown what they are about. We need to play like that now on a regular basis.”
You mentioned Connor and a bit about his performance – he leads from the front and maybe that’s been something that’s been lacking in the last few weeks…
“He made some good runs. It was his first game and I thought he did well. From our point of view, he offers something a little bit different up front. We have been relying on one or two of the younger players and they have done great, but he has got a bit of presence and a bit of pace. He makes some clever runs. The whole thing today around the team performance was fantastic and a great game to learn from.”
Lee scored in the International Cup game a few weeks back, but that goal was something else – how important is it for him to lay his marker down in the under-23s?
“I think he has done that. He has done that terrifically. I have been delighted with his performances since he has stepped up. It was a difficult decision to make about who we played – whether it was Jack Diamond or Benji Kimpioka. Thankfully, Lee has repaid the faith shown in him.”
CONNOR SHIELDS
“It was good competition. I have enjoyed the last few days. I’m still getting used to the full-time training, I’ve been staying behind and doing extra but I’m enjoying every second. It was some finish from Lee (Connelly) to help us get the win. It’s a good start and I’m just looking forward to playing the rest of season with the boys. I want to work hard, show what I have got and hopefully I can keep my place in the team. The boys have been brilliant with me so far, I’m looking forward to getting to know them all as the season goes on.”
