Sunderland recorded back-to-back league victories for the first time this season after beating Millwall 3-0 at the SOL on Saturday lunchtime.
Despite a slow start from Tony Mowbray’s side the lads grew into the game before racing into a two-goal lead early in the second half, thanks to goals from Amad Diallo and Alex Pritchard. Ellis Simms then rounded off the scoring in injury time. It was a great performance from Sunderland and the result sees the lads move up to 10th in the table, one point outside the playoffs.
Tony Mowbray made three changes to the side that beat Birmingham City at St Andrews before the break in the season for the World Cup. Luke O’Nien, Lynden Gooch and Aji Alese replaced Bailey Wright, Trai Hume, and Niall Huggins. Former Sunderland skipper George Honeyman lined up for the visitors.
Sunderland got the game underway kicking towards the Roker End and both sides got into each others penalty areas early on but both defences snuffed out the danger. It was an open start to the game and quite end to end with both sides looking threatening going forward. Things then got a bit feisty with a few strong challenges going in from both teams.
After 15 minutes Millwall fashioned the first opening when a cross from the right was touched back across the penalty area into the path of George Honeyman. Honeyman hit a shot first time, but it was well blocked by Corry Evans. From the resulting corner Millwall went close again when Sunderland didn’t clear the set piece but Cooper’s hooked effort was held by Patterson.
Five minutes later Sunderland were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position on the right when George Saville felled Lynden Gooch. Saville was booked for the challenge, but Millwall easily cleared Pritchard’s set piece before Amad won another free kick in an identical position. However, Pritchard’s cross was equally as disappointing as it was overhit and easy for the keeper to gather.
Millwall then almost took the lead after Luke O’Nien failed to deal with a long ball forward allowing Bradshaw to head the ball over Patterson who had raced off his line. However, Danny Baath was able to get back and clear the danger.
A couple of minutes later Sunderland won another free kick in a dangerous position this time on the edge of the box after Pritchard was chopped down. Pritchard again took the set piece and drove a low shot towards goal which went under the wall but was then blocked by Cooper. Sunderland then had a couple of decent passages of play with Amad and Pritchard combining well with Amad dazzling Millwall’s players with his quick feet.
They combined on the right for Pritchard to curl a decent cross to the back post for Jack Clarke, but he headed behind for a goal kick. Sunderland then had a great opportunity to open the scoring after Clarke glided into the box and saw his shot deflect into the path of Amad. However, Amad tried to cut back inside failing to get a shot away and the chance was gone.
Towards the end of the half Amad and Pritchard them combined again centrally allowing Pritchard to feed the ball into Simms. Simms took a good first before getting a decent strike away, but the keeper was able to hold it. Five minutes before half time Billy Mitchell was booked for a late and high tackle on Jack Clarke.
There was four minutes added on at the end of the first half and in the second of these Sunderland got a real let off after a mistake from Anthony Patterson. Rather than clearing a back pass down field Patterson tried to pass the ball out but he played the ball straight to Flemming on the edge of the box. Fortunately for Patterson and Sunderland, Flemming dragged his shot wide of the left-hand post which meant it was goalless at the break.
Neither manager made a change at the break before Millwall restarted the game kicking towards the Roker End, but it was Sunderland who had the first effort on goal. Pritchard created space for himself on the edge of the before firing a low shot towards goal which was comfortable for the keeper.
Sunderland did take the lead a couple of minutes later through Amad, but it was Pritchard who was the architect. He skipped away from a Millwall challenge on the left flank before driving into the box and crossing towards Simms. Simms tried to flick a backheeled shot into the bottom corner which looked to be goal bound but Amad made sure at the back post slamming the ball into the back of the net.
At the other end the visitors almost equalised immediately after Baath was forced into conceding a corner. George Honeyman whipped in the set piece onto the head of Flemming, but Dan Neil did well to clear it off the line heading behind. From the resulting corner Millwall had another chance but Cresswell fired wide.
Sunderland doubled their lead a few minutes later when Pritchard found the back of the net after another well worked move from the lads. Amad set the move away with a great ball out wide for Gooch who skinned his man and found Pritchard in the box. Pritchard had a couple of touches and feinted to shoot to create space before powering a shot past the keeper.
It would be Pritchard’s last piece of action as he was soon replaced by Elliot Embleton as Tony Mowbray made his first change of the game. Millwall made a triple change as they tried to get back into the game, but it was Sunderland who continued to threaten with Simms doing well to find Neil, but his effort was tame. At the other end Anthony Patterson was almost caught out when Flemming’s cross almost sneaked under the bar, but he did well to recover.
Lynden Gooch was then cautioned for a foul before Amad was replaced by Patrick Roberts. Jack Clarke was then replaced by Dennis Cirkin for the final ten minutes as Sunderland looked to tighten up and see out the victory.
Sunderland defended well in the closing stages of the game before five minutes additional time was signalled by the officials. In the third minute of these Ellis Simms scored his fifth goal of the season and rounded off the victory when he struck. Simms latched onto a long ball forward from Patterson before nipping past the keeper and tapping into an empty net.
Final Score – Sunderland 3 Millwall 0
ALS Man of the Match – Amad Diallo
