Bury 0-1 Sunderland
Sunderland are in the hat for the second round draw of the Carabao Cup following a 1-0 win over Bury.
Here, Oscar Chamberlain recaps all the action as it happened as Simon Grayson sealed his first win at the club.
THE WRAP
George Honeyman’s first senior goal was the difference at Gigg Lane as Sunderland deservedly progressed in the Carabao Cup. A scrappy opening period yielded little action, but the introduction of James Vaughan saw the Black Cats play with fresh purpose and a direct approach which unsettled the Shakers following the restart. Wahbi Khazri should have opened the scoring but the winger lost his footing after rounding the ‘keeper, however, the home side failed to heed the warning signs and soon came under further pressure. With 20 minutes remaining, Honeyman took charge and his persistence ensured a forgettable evening for many will be forever be remembered by the tenacious academy graduate.
SCENE SETTER
With a place in round two up for grabs, Grayson named a strong starting XI despite the Lads facing three games in six days following the Carabao Cup clash. Lewis Grabban led the line as former Bury striker Vaughan dropped to the bench, but Khazri made his first appearance of the campaign as Aiden McGeady also lined up against the Shakers. John O’Shea captained the side and Adam Matthews was included, as Lee Cattermole and Billy Jones remained on Wearside. Brendan Galloway was also amongst the starters and within 90 seconds he threatened down the left, with Grabban steering a header into the side netting.
SCRAPPY AFFAIR
The left side continued to provide space to attack as the opening exchanges continued, and inside five minutes the Black Cats went close again, as McGeady forced Joe Murphy into action following a superb turn of pace. But the sting was taken out of the game on ten minutes due to a serious injury to Shakers captain Stephen Dawson. A tangle of legs with Darron Gibson seemed fairly innocuous, but Dawson was unable to continue despite his best efforts and was soon stretchered off. The sides continued to trade blows but the game didn’t have any flow to it, and the interval provided a welcome chance for Grayson and his opposite number, former Black Cat Lee Clark, to inject fresh ideas and vigour into their players.
RETURN OF VAUGHAN
Sunderland made a change at the interval as former Shaker Vaughan replaced Grabban. The striker received a warm reception from the Bury fans on his return to Gigg Lane, but there was no time for sentiment as the striker looked to give his side the edge. The Black Cats looked far more comfortable with Vaughan spearheading the attack, but the next chance fell to Khazri – and he won’t want to see it back. The Tunisian seized a loose back past and rounded Murphy with ease, but just as he looked to find the empty net he lost his footing and the chance was gone. Grayson made a second change as the hour marked approached as 18-year-old Joel Asoro was handed a chance to impress.
A MOMENT TO SAVOUR
The Black Cats started to dominate as the game ebbed towards the closing stages and with 69 minutes played they finally found a way through. After Friday’s draw against Derby County, Grayson singled out Honeyman’s determination and application, and just when his team needed it he came up with the goods. A quick turn of pace saw him race clear and play the ball into the danger zone, but it was all about the finish as retrieved possession before looping a deft chip over Murphy and into the net. Raw emotion followed as the youngster celebrated in front of the travelling fans, a moment Honeyman, who has been at the club since the age of eight, has been dreaming about since he first walked through the doors at the Academy of Light all those years ago.
Attendance: 3,470 (934 away)
Bury: Murphy, Jones, Leigh, Thompson (Ismail 59), Dawson (Tutte 16), Asjose, Reilly, Aldred, Whitmore, Dai (Beckford 71), Bunn.
Substitutes: Fasen, Humphrey, Cameron, Lowe.
Sunderland: Steele, Matthews, Browning, O’Shea, Galloway, Gibson, Ndong, Honeyman, McGeady (Asoro 59), Khazri (Gooch 77), Grabban (Vaughan 46).
Substitutes: Ruiter, Kone, Love, Rodwell.