Jack Clarke's disallowed Sunderland goal, a tactical change plus Connor Wickham's Cardiff City struggles

Around 2,600 visiting fans had made the trip to South Wales and cheered in unison as Batth raised his arms in the air.

There were also chants of: “We love you Sunderland, we do” after another victory on the road. Tony Mowbray’s side have now taken seven points from their last three away games, including games at Norwich and Burnley.

Dennis Cirkin’s 60th-minute goal, on his first start since February, was the difference against Cardiff.

Here are some of the moments you may have missed:

A change of shape from the warm-up

With Luke O’Nien unavailable, with his wife due to give birth, Mowbray was forced to change his side’s backline.

Cirkin was recalled to the starting XI, while the Black Cats warmed up as a back four with the 21-year-old operating as a centre-back alongside Batth - with Trai Hume and Lynden Gooch as the full-backs.

Yet once the game started, Sunderland switched to a back three, with Hume and Cirkin positioned either side of Batth, while Gooch and Jack Clarke provided width as attacking wing-backs.

A close call for Jack Clarke’s disallowed goal

Sunderland thought they had opened the scoring in the first half when Jack Clarke headed home Alex Pritchard’s cross at the far post.

The goal was ruled out for offside, yet replays showed the decision was an extremely close call, with Bluebirds defender Mahlon Romeo in close proximity to Clarke.

Thankfully for Sunderland the decision didn’t prove significant.

Connor Wickham subbed at half-time

Sunderland’s defenders were up against former Black Cats striker Connor Wickham, who scored his first Bluebirds goal in a 3-1 win over Blackpool on Good Friday.

The 30-year-old wasn’t able to make an impact here, though, registering just 11 touches (according to Whoscored.com) before he was replaced at half-time.

It was Cardiff’s third substitution of the match after Bluebirds boss Sabri Lamouchi withdrew Sheyi Ojo and Jaden Philogene in the 36th minute to bring on Andy Rinomhota and Jack Simpson.

Lamouchi would later criticise his players for a ‘bad attitude and a bad performance in the first half.’

Dean Whitehead on the Cardiff coaching staff

There was another former Sunderland player in the Cardiff dugout, with former Black Cats midfielder Dean Whitehead part of the Bluebirds’ coaching staff.

Whitehead joined Cardiff as a first-team coach in November 2022 and took over as interim boss following the sacking of Mark Hudson in January.

It was then announced Whitehead would remain part of the coaching staff following Lamouchi’s appointment later that month.

Youngsters travel with the squad

O’Nien’s absence meant Ellis Taylor, 19, was named on Sunderland’s bench for the first time since the side’s win at Norwich.

While they weren’t part of the matchday squad, winger Tom Watson, 16, and 18-year-old goalkeeper Daniel Cameron also travelled with the senior side and took part in the pre-match warm-up at the Cardiff City Stadium.