Sunderland 3 Fleetwood 1: Story of the night as Luke O'Nien and Jack Clarke goals give Cats vital win
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Fleetwood went ahead in the first half when striker Ellis Harrison beat Anthony Patterson with a low finish.
That prompted Sunderland boss Alex Neil to make a double substitution at half-time, as Jermain Defoe and Lynden Gooch were brought on.
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Hide AdSecond-half goals from Elliot Embleton, substitute Luke O’Nien and Jack Clarke then gave the Black Cats a vital three points.
Fleetwood defender was then sent off for a foul on Ross Stewart three minutes from time.
Here’s how the game played out:
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RECAP: Sunderland 3 (Embleton, 55) (O’Nien, 82) (Clarke, 90+1) Fleetwood 1 (Harrison, 28)
Key Events
- Sunderland XI: Patterson, Winchester, Wright, Xhemajli (Defoe, 45), Cirkin, Evans (Gooch, 45), Matete, Embleton, Clarke, Roberts (O’Nien, 71), Stewart
- Subs: Hoffmann, Doyle, Hume, Neil, Gooch, O’Nien, Defoe
- Fleetwood XI: Cairns, Andrew, Jules, Harrison (G.Garner, 42), Morris (Thiam, 71), C.Johnson, Baggley (Hayes, 51), Lane, Nsiala, Boyle, Johnston
- Subs: O'Hara, Donaghy, Butterworth, G.Garner, Thiam, Hayes, Bird
What the Fleetwood boss had to say
Here’s what Fleetwood head coach Stephen Crainey has said ahead of the match.
“We’ve got a good squad of players at the football club. Everyone is going to be needed from now on until the end of the season so there are no excuses in terms of injuries.
“The effort and energy are always there every day. I see it every day and I see it in the game so we need to maintain those levels and eventually our luck will change.
“They’re a great group of lads; They come in with a smile on their faces every day and give me their all every day and that’s what we’re going to need from now until the end of the season.”
How Fleetwood are shaping up
Fleetwood are winless in nine coming into tonight’s match and are just two points above the relegation zone.
To find out more about tonight’s opponents we caught up with Tom Sandells from our sister title The Blackpool Gazette.
Here’s what he said about the side’s recent struggles.
“They have lost three of their last four and surrendered a three goal lead in their other. Prior to that, they had drawn four in a row and were just struggling to get wins over the line.
“Having previously been able to rely somewhat on keeping it tight at the back, that’s less of the case at the moment.”
Read more HERE
Neil on Fleetwood
Here’s what the Sunderland boss had to say about tonight’s match.
“The performances have been good in the last two games, and this is a very different challenge.
“It’s one we’re very much looking forward to, and I’m hoping we perform as well as we did at Charlton and go one better to get the three points.
“We have 10 crucial games left, and we have to look to maximise the points we can get from all of them.
“But equally, that becomes a far easier task when we’re all behind each other, pulling in the right direction and doing the utmost we can to get across the line.
“We’re not naïve, we understand as a team that we need to give the fans something to shout about. And when we have done that – the Wigan game being a case in point and Charlton after the match – you’ve seen how strong that support really has been.
“I think they saw the effort and determination the lads showed, and we have to maintain that, start well and be bright.”
Let’s start with the team news.
Alex Pritchard will miss tonight’s match after he was forced off with an ankle injury against Charlton on Saturday.
Alex Neil is hopeful the setback isn’t as serious as initially feared, but the full extent of the issue will be determined by yesterday’s scan.
Jermain Defoe could return to the matchday squad after missing the Charlton game with an injury, while Luke O’Nien is available again following a long-term shoulder issue.
Defender Danny Batth remains a doubt with an ankle problem.
It’s Matchday!
Sunderland are back in action tonight, with just ten League One games remaining for Alex Neil’s side.
Next up for the Black Cats is a struggling Fleetwood side at the Stadium of Light, and we’ve got all the action covered.
We’ll have all the build-up ahead of the match, as well as in-game analysis and post-match reaction.
Stick around and refresh the page for live updates.