In a game marred by lots of cards, Sunderland beat a ten-man Burton Albion side without getting out of second gear. Here’s how the lads rated out of ten...
Lee Burge (6/10): I only recall our keeper having one big save to make, tipping the shot onto the bar in a match where we nullified the opposition really well.
Conor McLaughlin (6/10): Solid at the back, making a few smart interceptions and looking tidy if unadventurous on the ball.
Dion Sanderson (7/10): Managed the physicality of Akins impressively, not giving the striker a sniff. Interestingly, Sanderson is a young player who actually looks like he enjoys defending and fully commits himself to the cause.
Luke O’Nien (6/10): Looked slightly restricted by an early booking. Didn’t have a lot of defending to do in the first half but won his battles and held his own in the second half.
Lynden Gooch (8/10): Bright throughout, everything Gooch tried came off today. Doubled our lead with a beautiful strike and was generally very explosive on the wing. Where Gooch is often guilty of trying too much, his game was mature and he always seemed to make the right decision.
Grant Leadbitter (6/10): Despite putting us ahead with a great finish, Grant was unusually sloppy and careless in his passing. His goal makes up for this though, giving us the platform to kill the game off early on.
Max Power (7/10): Steady in midfield, keeping the ball moving forward quickly. Protected the defence in a game where they tried to hit us on the counterattack.
Jake Vokins (6/10): Showed glimpses of skill and some deft touches without doing anything outstanding. Still looks a bit weak in the tackle and dodgy positionally. Needs a little more confidence…
Aiden O’Brien (7/10): Looked full of confidence, with some quality dribbling and passing. Might not have scored but he seems to drag defenders out of space and create space for others.
Charlie Wyke (6/10): Fairly anonymous throughout the match but finished the match with a good shot to make it eighteen League One goals this season.
Aiden McGeady (7/10): Created the first goal with a cleverly taken free kick. Showed his quick feet as usual and put a few dangerous balls in.
Subs:
Josh Scowen (6/10): Wasn’t an accurate passer but provided the tenacity and energy needed to see out the game.
Carl Winchester (6/10): Kept things simple in midfield, sitting and protecting the lead.
Jordan Jones (7/10): Quick and direct, creating Wyke’s goal with his running at the defence.
Jack Diamond (N/A): Didn’t have enough time to get a proper rating.
Chris Maguire (N/A): See above.
