Despite a below par performance Sunderland claimed all three points against Peterborough. Phil Parkinson had this to say afterwards: "It was a hard-fought victory,” Parkinson said. "It was always going to be a tough game, Peterborough have some dangerous players and we had to be on the money in terms of our discipline without the ball. We had some good periods in the game where we controlled it, and some periods where we gave it away cheaply, especially in the second half. When you do have those periods you’ve got to stand strong as a team and come through unscathed, we did that and I’m delighted we got the three points. The work ethic and discipline of the side was good today. We played some good stuff when we passed it quickly, for both teams I thought it was a case of who is going to produce that moment of quality to unlock the door. The resilience and work ethic of the team was the key for me today.”
The Gaffer on Grant Leadbitter’s Winner
"First of all, it was a penalty,” Parkinson said. “I don't think when Darren watches it back he can complain. We probably should have had one before then, though I haven't seen that back. It was a Premiership penalty from Grant. Not only that, he's cleared one off the line at the other end. We always talk about the man in the near post space, that when the ball goes to the back post he has to drop in. He did that great. Those moments separate the winners and the losers, the 0-0 draws and the 1-0 wins. He deserves it, he really, really deserved that moment today. There is no one more determined to play a part this season than Grant Leadbitter, there really isn't. He's so determined to have a big year at the club he loves. His family are Sunderland fans and he wears his heart absolutely on his sleeve. He'll be feeling ten-foot tall tonight, I'm sure. It's huge for us [having him back]. I said in pre-season that we had the bonus of young Dan Neil coming back, but equally we had Grant in great physical and mental shape. I'm pleased that with the staff, that we backed what we'd seen with our eyes on the training pitch and also the stats that we get back from training. His data has been right up there, he looks a yard sharper all over the pitch and at times he controlled the game today.”
PP on Chris Maguire’s injury.
“It's a strange one really,” Parkinson said. “He got whacked on the thigh, so it was more of an impact injury. He couldn't shake it off and he's the type of the lad who wants to stay on. He wanted to go back on but I wasn't going to take the risk, we've got good players on the bench. Without Max [Power] and George [Dobson], and Chris going off, we had to shuffle the pack today, but I thought the lads who came in did well, but I don't think it's anything really serious. I spoke briefly with the physio and he just said that he took a whack. At first he felt the pain in his lower hamstring but none of the tests he's done suggest it's a hamstring strain. If it's an impact injury, it won't be as long. So he shouldn't be out for long, we'll get him in on Sunday and have a look at him.”
PLAYER RATINGS VS PETERBOROUGH
Lee Burge (7/10): Made a few crucial saves in the first half to keep Posh at bay.
Luke O’Nien (7/10): Defensively solid and kept his position throughout.
Jordan Willis (6/10): Struggled to contain the pace and quality of Dembele, particularly in the first half.
Bailey Wright (7/10): A calming influence at the back, showing some good vision as well at times.
Tom Flanagan (7/10): Didn’t really put a foot wrong and did well releasing Denver Hume down the wing.
Denver Hume (9/10): Excellent dribbling and the final ball was good throughout. Showed good tenacity to carry the ball forward at every opportunity.
Grant Leadbitter (7/10): Showed good leadership when stepping up for the penalty and helping see out the victory.
Josh Scowen (6/10): Lacked composure and quality on the ball and didn’t cause much of a threat from dead balls.
Chris Maguire (6/10): Sloppy on the ball at times before coming off injured.
Lynden Gooch (6/10): Couldn’t make his mark on the game, struggled to get into it. Better as an impact player.
Charlie Wyke (5/10): Cut a lonely figure up front, looking clumsy at times and never had much of a sight on goal.
Subs:
Aiden O’Brien (6/10): Couldn’t create a whole lot but worked hard after we went ahead.
Danny Graham (6/10): Led the line well when coming on, helping us keep the clean sheet.
Conor McLaughlin (N/A): Saw out the victory in a short cameo.
