Sunderland 1-0 Crewe Alexandra
A dominant performance boasting plenty of chances earned Sunderland a narrow win over Crewe Alexandra that extended the unbeaten start to the League One season for Phil Parkinson’s side.
Despite plenty of opportunities for the Black Cats to put clear daylight between the two sides in both halves, it was a Luke Offord header into his own Crewe net at the end of the first period that separated the two teams.
Offord nodded in a dangerous Lynden Gooch delivery with Charlie Wyke lurking to give Sunderland the slice of good fortune much of their strong play deserved.
And Sunderland’s strong defensive display secured a fifth clean sheet in a row, maintaining the meanest record in the country at this stage of the campaign, to secure three points for Parkinson and Co.
Sunderland have now collected 14 points from the 18 available to them and head into this Saturday’s visit of Portsmouth looking to stay among the leading pack.
David Artell’s Crewe arrived on Wearside having collected seven points from the last nine available to them and they showed at times why they are faring well in the higher division.
Former Black Cats striker Mikael Mandron led the line for Artell, but he was up against a home defence that has still only conceded just once so far in the league.
Denver Hume returned to the left flank against Crewe after recovering from the knee injury that prevented him from facing Swindon Town. He was the replacement in the side for Jordan Willis, deemed not fit enough after his foot injury at the County Ground.
There was no place in the match-day squad for new signing Dion Sanderson following his loan switch from Wolves, with Luke O’Nien preferred on the left of the three at the back once again.
Hume and Gooch down the flanks saw plenty of the ball, instructed to hog the line high up the pitch, and when they were found they tended to send in some teasing centres.
It was getting on the end of those that proved tricky in the early stages of the first half because, despite some lovely possession play, there was nothing to truly worry Crewe goalkeeper Will Jassekelainen.
From the opening half hour of play the best two chances created by either side were from Sunderland. Wyke fired an effort high over the bar from 20 yards after some patient play, while Chris Maguire curled a free-kick from similar distance wide of the upright.
It was on the half hour mark that Sunderland started to try a few more things in the final third. Wyke headed a Hume cross into the arms of Jaaskelainen and then Gooch was unlucky with a curling left-foot effort from 25 yards after cutting in from the right.
With Hume spare on the left moments later for another attack, Wyke and skipper Max Power linked well to create space for the latter to drive an effort on goal for Jassekelainen to turn away moments later.
Maguire had a couple more wayward efforts and just when it seemed there would be no breakthrough before the interval Sunderland got the break their play deserved.
Gooch whipped in a sweet delivery that was inches away from being turned in by Maguire but Offord did the job for him when he nodded into his own net under pressure from Wyke at the back post.
Crewe did start the second half positively, with Omar Beckles heading into the arms of Lee Burge early on from a corner representing the visitors’ first effort on target of the night.
Soon after that Power should have put Sunderland two up when he curled over from 14 yards when a blocked Wyke shot appeared to roll perfectly in his direction.
Sunderland started to dictate play again in the middle, with Grant Leadbitter’s influence increased again. From one of his crossfield passes, Hume almost ended up scoring but rolled an effort into the arms of the keeper.
With 24 minutes remaining Jaaskelainen was cautioned for tripping Wyke when he knocked the ball beyond him but going away from goal, and from the resulting Josh Scowen free-kick Bailey Wright’s downward header somehow bounced over the bar from close range.
Jaaskelainen then made a strong one handed save to deny Maguire when he worked his way in to the box with just the goalkeeper to beat; and that was his last contribution before Aiden O’Brien replaced him.
Crewe pushed on in the closing stages to give Sunderland more to worry about, without Burge really being asked to make a serious save. Another victory secured.
SUNDERLAND (3-5-2): Burge; McLaughlin, Wright, O’Nien; Gooch (Flanagan 86), Leadbitter, Scowen (Dobson 84), Power, Hume; Maguire (O’Brien 73), Wyke.
Subs: Matthews (gk), Diamond, Grigg, Graham.
CREWE ALEXANDRA (4-3-2-1): Jaaskelainen; Ng, Beckles, Offord, Pickering; Murphy, Wintle, Finney (Ainley 67); Powell (Dale 56), Kirk (Porter 82); Mandron.
Subs: Richards, Lowery, Zanzala, Johnson.
Referee: Neil Hair