Phil Smith's verdict: Inside Sunderland's latest encouraging win - and exactly where they stand at the halfway stage

After a woeful first-half display caretaker boss Gary McSheffrey turned to his bench, bringing on experienced forward Omar Bogle in a slightly unorthodox right-wing role.

The visitors went direct to him, finding a bit of joy in that space behind Lynden Gooch.

But when the Sunderland forward picked up the ball just inside the opposition half, his opposite numbers stepped off him and so off he went, on and on all the way to the byline.

A good low cross, an audacious backheel from Alex Pritchard and an unfortunate attempt at a clearance from Ben Blythe, and that was that.

3-0. Game over. Either side of those brief moments, Sunderland were utterly dominant.

It was for that reason that the post-match assessment from the visitor's camp was measured and far from triumphant.

Lee Johnson admitted the opposition were facing a 'sticky wicket' in trying to put out a side with injury problems and a COVID-19 outbreak still causing issues for a side who had already been struggling near the foot of League One.

Now they were without influential defender Tom Anderson and one of their players of the campaign so far in Manchester United loanee Ethan Galbraith.

Galbraith had been a player on Sunderland's radar in the early stages of the summer, but that was always dependent on Dan Neil's progress and the 20-year-old was at his joyous best here.

Switching the play, drawing the press then twisting away from it with ease, breaking with intent into the final third.

He was on a different level and Doncaster simply didn't lay a glove on him.

At the end he walked across the 4,000+ away support, pumping his fist and soaking up the adulation. £3 million? Have another go.

The ease with which he glided across the turf underlined, though, that this Doncaster side were perhaps the perfect opponent for Johnson's side.

They pressed just enough to create space, but with nowhere enough cohesion to apply any real pressure to the ball. In possession they played out from the back but took too many touches, inviting Sunderland to close them down with ease.

Neil had the time he needed, and so too did the likes of Callum Doyle, who was able to replicate that set the tone in the way he did so thrillingly in the opening weeks of the season.

Still, the jubilation in the away end reflected the fact that no matter what the level of the opposition, this was a chance for Sunderland to make ground on the top two and in the previous three seasons, there have been so many times where they have been unable to do exactly that.

It was never really in any doubt here, even if Johnson fairly pointed out that there were times in the first half when they were trying to force the killer ball too early.

After that 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday the head coach had said he was 'pretty confident' he could turn this around quickly.

It took a little bit of time and some poor cup performances, but since then it has been nine league games unbeaten and this win took Sunderland back to two points-per-game at the halfway mark of the season.

Right on track, then.

Most encouraging is that the attacking groove from those early weeks of the season is back, and arguably even improving.

Pritchard is at the heart of that, and that his name was sung so regularly in the away end spoke to the way he has established himself as a key player in this promotion push.

The clever run into the channel for the second goal drew praise from McSheffrey afterwards, who said his awareness and ability to 'smell the threat' was a lesson to his young players.

The 28-year-old has begun to consistently look a cut above and what was most enjoyable about this performance was that there was space for Elliot Embleton to thrive alongside him.

Though often owing to fitness or suspension rather than tactical choice, through the opening stages of the campaign it felt like it would invariably be one or the other when it came to the starting XI.

Here they excelled in tandem, and it is no coincidence that the Black Cats are playing better football now that both are in a proper rhythm.

The platform for a top-two push has now well and truly been established and that's a return that you expect most would have taken both in the build up to the campaign when key squad positions were unfilled, and as recently as that humbling defeat to Darren Moore's side in early November.

Johnson still feels his side has another gear to go through, and part of that will be in getting injured players back to bolster what was a worryingly inexperienced bench here.

Part of it is also very clearly going to be in a critical January window.

Nathan Broadhead's injury was revealed in the build up to this win to be even worse than initially feared. The Everton loanee will miss three months minimum, and may not play again this season if surgery is required.

That a centre forward is required next month is obvious, and a (thankfully minor) injury to Carl Winchester exposed how quickly this squad can look a little threadbare.

The players Johnson does have at his disposal look in increasingly good order, and so little wonder the travelling red-and-white army were in such a buoyant mood.

There is a long way to go, but right now there is some hope that it might just last.

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Sunderland AFC coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription to our new sports-only package here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor