Sunderland 1 Portsmouth 0: Story of the day as Elliot Embleton goal gives Cats much-needed win in League One
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Elliot Embleton scored the only goal of the game five minutes before half-time when he was set up by Ross Stewart.
After a shaky start, the Black Cats were more assured after the break to claim a much-needed three points.
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Here’s how the game played out:
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RECAP: Sunderland 1 (Embleton, 40) Portsmouth 0
Key Events
- Sunderland XI: Hoffmann, Flanagan, Batth, Doyle, Gooch, Cirkin, Evans, Neil, Embleton (Winchester, 83), Dajaku (O’Brien, 88), Stewart
- Subs: Patterson, Xhemajli, Winchester, Diamond, T.Hume, O’Brien, Kimpioka
- Portsmouth XI: Bazunu, Carter, Raggett, Robertson (Jacobs, 78), Romeo, Thompson (Williams, 71), Morrell, Hackett, Harness, Curtis (Hurst, 71) , Walker
- Subs: Steward, Freeman, Brown, Ogilvie, Williams, Jacobs, Hirst
50’ Decent start to the second half
Sunderland have made a decent start to this second half.
First Cirkin got forward down the left before he was stopped by a firm tackle from Romeo.
Then the hosts attacked down the right before Evans fired a low shot wide.
40’ GOALLLLL!!!!! EMBLETON!!!!
Excellent work from Embleton and Stewart there.
The pair pressed together, allowing Embleton to win the ball off Carter in the Portsmouth box.
Embleton then played a neat one-two with Stewart before curling a shot past Bazunu.
1-0!
34’ Wide from Dajaku
Portsmouth haven’t looked secure at the back at all.
This time Raggett was caught on the ball and dispossessed by Dajaku.
He could have squared the ball to Stewart in a central position but instead went for goal himself and curled his effort wide.
32’ Close!
Sunderland have been second best so far but have arguably created the better chances.
They could have taken the lead there as Gooch’s in-swinging cross from the right was almost turned in by Dajaku at the back post, yet the latter couldn’t quite reach it.