Story of the day as Sunderland thrash Cheltenham to go top of League One after Ross Stewart double plus Bailey Wright, Luke O'Nien and Leon Dajaku goals

Sunderland thrashed Cheltenham Town 5-0 at the Stadium of Light to go top of the League One table with a convincing win.
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Ross Stewart scored twice for the Black Cats after Bailey Wright’s headed opener to put the hosts in full control at the half-time interval.

Second-half goals from Luke O’Nien and substitute Leon Dajaku, his first for the club, then put even more gloss on the scoreline for Lee Johnson’s side.

Here’s how the game played out at the Stadium of Light:

Sunderland vs Cheltenham live blog.Sunderland vs Cheltenham live blog.
Sunderland vs Cheltenham live blog.

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RECAP: Sunderland 5 (Wright, 11) (Stewart, 29, 37) (O’Nien, 65) Cheltenham 0

Key Events

  • Sunderland XI: Hoffmann, Winchester, Flanagan (Alves, 57), Wright, Huggins, Evans, O’Nien, McGeady (Dajaku, 61), Broadhead, O’Brien, Stewart (Pritchard, 73)
  • Subs: Burge, Alves, Taylor, Neil, Pritchard, Embleton, Dajaku
  • Cheltenham XI: Flinders, Long, Hussey, Pollock (May, 45), Freestone, Thomas, Sercombe, Chapman, Blair, Perry, Joseph
  • Subs: Evans, May, Williams, Bonds, Horton, Barkers, Norton

Thanks for joining us tonight

That’s it for tonight. And what a night it was.

We’ll have loads more reaction and analysis on the SAFC section of the Echo website.

See you soon.

After Wigan’s defeat against Sheffield Wednesday, here’s what the League One table looks like.

Reaction from the Stadium of Light

90’ Three minutes added time

Sunderland are still creating chances as O’Brien curls a shot over from the edge of the box.

85’ Broadhead makes way

Looks like the striker has picked up a knock and heads down the tunnel.

Sunderland have made all three subs so are now playing with ten men.

Joseph has just registered a shot on target for the visitors but it was straight at Hoffmann.

78’ Winchester excellent again

73’ Stewart makes way

A standing ovation for Stewart. Pritchard takes his place.

70’ More changes for Cheltenham

It’s five!

Another run in behind the defence from Broadhead caused chaos in the Cheltenham box.

The striker was thwarted by the goalkeeper and Freestone but Dajaku reacted quickest to curl the rebound into the top corner.

The fans are enjoying this one.