Phil Smith's verdict: The moment that showed what's changed at Sunderland and the Phil Parkinson messages that proved key to vital win

The scoreline made it look routine, but in truth it was anything but.
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There were moments in the first half where it looked as if Bristol Rovers might wilt.

Sunderland were doing, at least for a twenty minute period, what they have made a habit of doing so well at the Stadium of Light of late.

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They had control of the midfield area and everything was flowing from that.

Lynden Gooch celebrates after breaking the deadlock at the Stadium of LightLynden Gooch celebrates after breaking the deadlock at the Stadium of Light
Lynden Gooch celebrates after breaking the deadlock at the Stadium of Light

The wing-backs were right up on the opposition byline and that left acres of space for Jordan Willis and Tom Flanagan to drive into.

Phil Parkinson would have been incensed that a cross from Denver Hume, dropped right into the six-yard box, was not met by a team-mate.

These are the moves he is drilling relentlessly on the training ground and he speaks constantly of the need for his forward players to attack them.

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To their credit, Rovers survived and ensured they did not go the way of so many visiting teams in recent weeks.

The start of the second half brought little change, a tactical switch from Ben Garner allowing his side to keep Sunderland at arm’s length.

Even after Abu Ogogo saw red, it took a while for Sunderland to find the incision they know they have.

It said everything that when the opener was scored, Kyle Lafferty was preparing to come on.

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The Black Cats weren’t quite at it and Parkinson’s body language was telling.

Inconsistent refereeing played a part in but he was agitated and restless, desperate for his team to keep the tempo of the game up.

He raced out of his technical area on more than one occasion to retrieve the ball, anxious that a pivotal week did not start with a whimper.

That it didn’t says much about where his team find themselves.

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They are winning all kinds of games, and are showing an utterly ruthless streak.

It’s worth considering, too, that even if they had not been at their fluent best, Sunderland again had complete defensive control of the game.

Bristol Rovers registered just one shot on target and Jon McLaughlin was never troubled as he kept his eighth clean sheet in nine games.

It’s a remarkable record and one in which luck has not played much of a part.

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The injury to Bailey Wright came as a huge blow this week but as expected, Alim Ozturk slotted in with ease and aside from a little uncertainty in the very opening stages, Sunderland were resolute.

Parkinson said the Turk had been ‘flawless’, making the right decisions at the right time.

It also sums up just how comfortable the team are in their current structure.

The Black Cats boss celebrated the opening goal wildly and could not hide his delight afterwards. Rovers had left the door open just slightly as they went on the attack, and Sunderland pounced.

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Just four touches took the ball from just inside the Rovers half to the back of the net.

Wyke and Maguire linked up superbly and the composure from Gooch, who had a frustrating afternoon up until that moment, was excellent.

What pleased Parkinson most was the run from Gooch.

So much of his work with the attacking midfielders has been in encouraging them to ‘think like number nines’.

He knows that both Gooch and Maguire have an ability so score spectacular strikes but the downside can often be that their instinct is then to hover on the edge of the box and wait for a cutback.

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Low crosses are aplenty with the way Sunderland are playing at the moment and this is the kind of goal he wants to see more of.

Within moments of that strike, it was game over.

Wyke’s effort was not without controversy, Garner adamant that play should have been stopped after his two centre-halves clashed heads.

Sunderland now had complete control and a jubilant atmosphere took hold in a Stadium that is transformed.

Nothing summed that up better than the chants that began in the Roker End as the Black Cats pushed for a third goal.

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There had been strains at the Kassam Stadium a week before as Sunderland held on for three crucial points, but now there was no mistaking the vocal support for a manager who had endured some lonely afternoons in the dug-out before the turn of the year.

The Sunderland boss took plenty of satisfaction in yielding to the calls for a wave, and there was an extra thumbs up for good measure.

On home turf the Black Cats have taken sixteen points from a possible eighteen in 2020.

They have scored fourteen and conceded just one.

Parkinson’s explanation for the upturn in mood and performance is simple.

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For him, it is recognition for a side playing with intensity and leaving everything out on the pitch.

It was telling that at half-time, his message to the players was to stay patient and focus on the process.

It’s that calm and experience that looks to have led him through some choppy waters and out the other side.

Games against Fleetwood Town and Coventry City loom large, an acid test of Sunderland’s automatic promotion ambitions.

Just for a moment, though, it’s worth dwelling on and relishing the fact that at the crunch point of the season, the Stadium of Light is starting to feel like something of a fortress again.