The Michael Beale era got off to the worst possible start as his team were battered 3-0 as we once again failed to utilise our dominance of the possession.
Sunderland hosted a Coventry City side in good form, having been defeated only once in the last seven games. This had established a comfortable mid table position for them at the start of the day, seven points above the relegation zone. The hosts were at the start of a new era as new head coach Michael Beale began his tenure and a first win against the visitors in 16 years would be a big statement for the controversial appointee.
SUNDERLAND XI: Patterson, Ekwah, Ballard, O’Nien, Hume, Bellingham, Neil, Huggins, Ba, Roberts, Clarke
Subs: Bishop, Seelt, Triantis, Aouchiche, Rigg, Dack, Burstow, Mayenda, Rusyn
COVENTRY XI: Collins, van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Bidwell, Sakamoto, O’Hare, Allen, Sheaf, Wright, Simms
Subs: Wilson, Binks, Dasilva , McFadzean, Latibeaudire, Ayari, Eccles, Palmer, Godden
Somehow Sunderland didn’t make it 1-0 on the 20th minute mark. Jack Clarke fired one towards Bradley Collins and the Coventry goalkeeper palmed it into the path of Abdoullah Ba. Just inches from the net, the French youth international managed to fire it over to the bewilderment and frustration of the anticipating SAFC fans.
Only a couple of minutes later Coventry had a couple of efforts that also somehow didn’t result in a goal. American international Haji Wright and Callum O’Hare both had shots cleared off the line by Anthony Patterson.
Trai Hume then earned himself a booking halfway into the first 45 minutes as he brought down Japanese international Tatsuhiro Sakamoto on the right side of the penalty area.
Ex-Sunderland man Ellis Simms executed a header quite poorly as he made contact with it but the ball flew well away from our goal to go out for a goal kick.
With the game approaching first half stoppage time, Ben Sheaf was forced off with a head injury and replaced by Josh Eccles. This was following a collision with Hume who luckily was able to keep on playing.
Four minutes of injury time resulted and Coventry capitalised on this time well as they went 1-0 up. The referee played the advantage after Luke O’Nien committed a foul on the left wing and this left a huge amount of space for O’Hare to run into. He then crossed into the box, it clipped Hume on the way and Sakamoto found the net at the back post.
O’Nien was booked right before the break for an incident in the box before a corner.
At half time it was Sunderland 0-1 Coventry City. It had been a rather tedious affair and we really should have scored but it was hard to complain about the score.
Clarke had the first chance of the second half. His shot at a tight angle in the box was saved.
Ba missed another great chance from inside the box and it bafflingly remained 0-1 when Clarke fired a good opportunity straight at the goalkeeper a few minutes later.
To complete an unwanted trilogy of squandered chances, Jobe Bellingham had a shot blocked.
Collins became the first Coventry player to receive a yellow card. The goalie punished for time wasting.
Jake Bidwell was the next man in the book for dragging back Patrick Roberts who had skipped past him.
Hume had a shot blocked inside the box as Sunderland continued to ramp up the pressure for an equaliser.
That pressure came to nothing in the end as missed chances and a dominance of possession once again didn’t materialise into any end product for the Black Cats. The visitors took this and brutally took advantage.
The second came from O’Hare firing into the top right corner from inside the box and the third was the result of a Patterson error. He spilled the ball and Kasey Palmer found the bottom right corner. 0-3 after 70 minutes and game over.
Adil Aouchiche had an effort go well wide of the post as we continued to avoid the net like it was the plague.
Things got a lot worse and a lot more worrying for Sunderland when Huggins was stretchered off after he went down clutching his knee.
Aouchiche crossed it to Jenson Seelt but the Dutchman’s header was blocked and Dan Neil was booked for a foul on Palmer a minute later with the game fast approaching added time.
FULL TIME: SUNDERLAND 0-3 COVENTRY CITY
