Sunderland fan blog: Arrival of Tottenham Hotspur ace will be a major boost but positive signs in Wigan win
After over 18-months of waiting, the full return to football at the Stadium of Light ended in pure joy, as Sunderland were able to produce an opening-day victory.
Yes, it wasn't without its challenges, as Wigan took the lead early on and may have caused other Sunderland sides to shrivel into their shells and invite more pressure.
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Hide AdBut no, this Sunderland team already seem different to the others; less than a minute later, penalty.
A route back into the contest, which Aiden McGeady duly obliged - sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
From there, it only looked like one-way traffic, with the home side being likely to create the next opening and despite all of the hard work it proved to be a simple route to the winning goal - Elliot Embleton's corner met by the head of Ross Stewart, goal and three points.
The pressure that Sunderland put on Wigan speaks highly of the chances that the Black Cats have this season, even if more additions need to come through the door before the August 31 deadline.
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Hide AdA full-back still remains the priority, with Tottenham youngster, Dennis Cirkin, more than likely to be the next signing on Wearside if reports are anything to go by.
Dan Neil proved to be a decent replacement, despite making a couple of errors allowing Callum Lang and Tendayi Darikwa space on the right, however, for a player only 19 years of age and playing out of position, fans can expect mistakes to creep into his performance.
Neil may be provided with more game time, alongside more of the youngsters, as focus turns to the road for the first time this season, as trips to Port Vale in the cup, before league ventures to MK Dons and Burton.