Wigan Athletic 1-4 Sunderland AFC
Sunderland ended 2022 with back-to-back wins following a 4-1 victory at Wigan Athletic on Thursday evening.
Ellis Simms opened the scoring from close range following a dominant opening from the Lads, who continued to impress throughout the first half at the DW Stadium.
Wigan were level at the interval, though, with Will Keane equalising moments after Amad struck the underside of the crossbar.
Tony Mowbray made changes on the hour mark and the substitutes made an instant impact, as Patrick Roberts won a penalty that was converted by Ross Stewart.
Roberts continued to impress and added a third five minutes from time, with Amad notching a sensational fourth three minutes later to seal a resounding win.
Mowbray made several changes ahead of the contest, with Trai Hume and Bailey Wright coming into defence in the absence of Lynden Gooch and Dennis Cirkin.
Corry Evans also missed out and Stewart dropped to the bench, handing Edouard Michut and Abdoullah Ba the opportunity to impress in Greater Manchester alongside Simms.
Ba led a counter-attack with 19 minutes played, with the Frenchman roaring forward before being denied by goalkeeper Jones after Amad’s initial effort was also saved.
The one-way traffic finally overwhelmed the home side from the resulting corner, as Simms headed home from two yards after Hume volleyed across the face of goal.
Wigan edged back into the contest in the stages that followed, with a frenetic pace seeing both sides tear from one end to the other at relentless speed.
Mowbray’s men continued to enjoy the better of the play, but Latics went close on 39 minutes when James McClean’s volley struck the outside of the post.
Seconds later the woodwork was shaking at the other end, as Ba and Simms combined before a wonderful touch from Amad allowed him to thunder a 10-yard strike off the underside of the crossbar.
Wigan immediately levelled through Keane, who reacted quickest to convert the rebound after Anthony Patterson denied Thelo Aasgard’s initial effort.
The sides continued to trade blows in the second period and with an hour played, Mowbray shuffled his pack by introducing Alex Pritchard, Patrick Roberts and Stewart.
Within three minutes, Roberts dazzled and looked for Stewart before being fouled in the box, allowing the latter to step up and slam home his eighth of the season.
Unfortunately, the Lads paid a price for the goal and Pritchard, who had only returned from a three-week absence moments before, limped down the tunnel.
Wigan failed to regroup and Roberts delivered a knockout blow on 85 minutes, with Amad taking aim and striking an unstoppable fourth from 25 yards to seal a memorable win on the road.
Wigan Athletic: Jones, Darikwa, Hughes (Nyambe 16), Tilt, McClean, Power, Naylor, Lang (Edwards 74), Keane, Aasgard (Shinnie 61), Fletcher. Substitutes: Amos, Cousins, Scully, Broadhead, Bennett.
Sunderland AFC: Patterson, Ballard, Wright, O’Nien, Hume, Neil, Ba (Dajaku 71), Michut (Pritchard 61, Matete 68), Clarke (Roberts 61), Amad, Simms (Stewart 61). Substitutes: Bass, Bennette.