Stephen Elliott: This is what Elliot Embleton needs to do for Sunderland this season

I do not think Sunderland have been playing terribly, in fact I have still enjoyed a lot of the football the team has been producing over the past few games but the lack of cutting edge had me sceptical going into the Wigan game.

Given the fact that the opponents had four former Sunderland players in their starting XI, the away team were never going to roll over.

Former players always seem to have that extra bit between their teeth at the Stadium of Light.

Adding to the fact that both Charlie Wyke and Nathan Broadhead are forwards, who if we are being honest did a decent job in red and white during their time here, there was always a chance that one of them would find the back of the net.

This is usually the case in these scenarios.

Sunderland played well though and put together some great moves, which had the bumper crowd on the edge of their seat for a lot of the game.

It may not have been a surprise - like I mentioned above - that Wyke scored a goal but it was against the run of play.

On a human note, I have to say it’s great seeing Charlie back playing on a football pitch after what he has gone through over the last year.

He is a nice guy and thankfully he has come through some really scary health issues.

Given Sunderland’s dominance in the first half, the team must have been scratching their head going into the changing rooms behind at the break.

I think the substitution at half-time, bringing Amad Diallo on, brought a bit more spark to the team and the lads managed to turn the game around with two fantastically worked goals.

Without having that out-and-out striker in the team Sunderland are having to be a little bit cuter with their movements in and around the box.

Both goals on Saturday were the result of passing and moving the ball in a controlled and attacking manner.

I was delighted to see Elliot Embleton break his duck for the season. He is technically astute with both feet and if I were to be critical of him this season I would say his finishing has been a bit rushed at times.

I think if he had shown a bit more composure with his chances at times this season he may have had a few goals already.

This goal will hopefully settle him and we will see him chip in a bit more over the course of the rest of the season. He certainly has the quality to be a goal scoring midfielder.

The winning goal was a combination of quick thinking down the right-hand side and then pure desire from Dennis Cirkin to get on the end of a cross that- given the day it was - Niall Quinn himself would have been proud of.

The three points were very welcome and sets the team up nicely for what should be a tough week against two out of the top six sides.