Lee Johnson delivered this verdict on Sunderland's superb win and 'really good vibes' at the Stadium of Light

Lee Johnson praised Lynden Gooch’s superb display as Sunderland secured a 5-0 win against Morecambe on Tuesday night.
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Gooch had erred in possession for Oxford United’s equaliser on Saturday but produced two excellent assists as the Black Cats took an early lead on Tuesday night.

The Sunderland support sang his name throughout the game, and Johnson said his return to form was ‘really encouraging’.

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The head coach thanked supporters from creating a ‘really good vibe’ from the off, as his side extended their unbeaten run in the league to five games.

Sunderland boss Lee JohnsonSunderland boss Lee Johnson
Sunderland boss Lee Johnson

“Really encouraging,” Johnson said.

“Goochy’s just another one we’ve had to support. He made the mistake on Saturday and knew he’d made the mistake and held his hands up. The lads then get around him, and so did we.

"I think he’d have had a tough weekend, but on Monday we gave him a bit of a hug, put your arm round him and get him to go again on Tuesday. It’s nice he’s claimed the two assists today. He fully deserved that. He’s a tough cookie and one that understands the club. He’s got that resilience to him, and knows he can be a hero as quickly as he was a zero.“Right from the start, you could feel the vibe. It was really positive from the start. We started well and it’s been like that. I wasn’t expecting it because it was such a cold night and obviously a few less fans than normal because of the weather. I’m really pleased for the fans that turned up, we gave them a five-star show.”The game was far from one-way traffic, with Morecambe having some opportunities either side of half time.

Johnsom said he expected the visitors to have chances, particularly given Cole Stockton’s outstanding form so far this season.

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He felt that would give his side openings in return, and was pleased that they were able to exploit them.

“It was a tough game going into it, the pressure was on and we performed extremely well,” Johnson said.

“They gave us a couple of warning signs in that first half, but we felt like we could exploit their backline with the quality they've got.

“They have got good forward players and a lot of energy in midfield, so they can cause you problems.

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“We knew they'd penetrate at some point during the game, but generally I felt good control.

“First half I thought we could have extended our lead a bit more.

“The second half it was a case of nothing silly, but we waited for the opportunities to open up, and we scored some really good goals.

“We are low on numbers but the individuals we have available are in a really good place.

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“We had to heal mentally and physically and we feel we've done that.

"I think the most enjoyable thing was when we exploited their gaps.

“We were extremely effective when we got the ball out to Gooch, Dajaku was excellent and a real threat throughout.

"Broadhead is having a good run now and I was pleased Stewart got his goal, I think he needed that.”

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