Sunderland AFC 1-0 Reading FC
Sunderland got back to winning ways after comfortably collecting all three points following a dominant 1-0 win over Reading at the Stadium of Light.
The first half ended goalless with neither goalkeeper being forced into a save, but the hosts piled on the pressure in the second half and deservedly claimed maximum points through Patrick Roberts in the final five minutes.
There was little to show between the two teams in the opening half an hour as both sides looked to grab a foothold on the game.
The Blacks Cats came closest to scoring the opening goal when Dan Ballard climbed highest inside the area, but the defender was unable to direct his header on target.
The hosts cut through the Royals' backline in the final minutes of the first half, debutant Joe Gelhardt flicking Aji Alese’s cross from the left-hand side wide of Lumley’s far post.
Gelhardt came close in the opening exchanges of the second half, the striker latching onto Edouard Michut’s defence-splitting pass, rolling his attempt wide of Lumley’s goal.
Sunderland continued to push forward in search of the elusive opening goal, Alese blazing over after getting on the end of Roberts’ floated cross.
Mowbray’s team switched defence into attack with Trai Hume almost finishing off a delightful counter-attack after neatly collecting a one-two with Roberts inside the Reading danger area.
Alese was pushed further forward, and the move almost paid off when Roberts’ strike was parried by Lumley but the left-back was unable to divert his effort towards the goal from a tight angle.
As the match approached its final 10 minutes, Roberts went inches from breaking the deadlock, Jack Clarke finding the wideman on the edge of the box, but his attempt whistled over Lumley’s crossbar.
Roberts finally got his deserved goal after skilfully cutting in from the left, wrongfooting Lumley and emphatically firing the ball into the roof of the goalkeeper's net.
The Black Cats jumped two places into 7th spot in the Sky Bet Championship following today's victory over Paul Ince’s side.
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Batth ©, Ballard, Alese, Neil (O’Nien 75), Michut (Ba 80’), Roberts, Amad (Pritchard 65), Clarke (Bennette 80’), Gelhardt (Lihadji 75)
Subs not used: Bass, Ekwah.
Reading: Lumley, McIntyre (Fornah 87), Sarr, Yiadom ©, Rahman (Azeez 87), Ince, Mbengue, Hendrick, Hoilett (Dann 77’), Long (Meite 77’), Carroll.
Subs not used: Bouzanis, Guinness-Walker, Casadei.