This is how it played out as Sunderland end their winless run with emphatic Wigan Athletic win

Ross Stewart took his tally for the season to 22 with two superb penalties, building on Bailey Wright’s first-minute header.

Wigan dominated possession for much of the game but Sunderland produced the kind of battling away performance in front of almost 5,000 travelling fans that has too often eluded them of late.

Leam Richardson’s side ultimately created little, the visitors more than worthy of the win that serves as crucial boost in their bid to steady in the play-off places.

They had come into the game low on confidence and with optimism on Wearside waning fast, no wins in six and no wins at all since the arrival of Alex Neil.

Neil had hinted on Friday in his pre-match press conference that he was facing further injury issues, and that became apparent when both Callum Doyle and Danny Batth were absent from the matchday squad.

It meant a first start for Xhemajli, who had not played a minute

"He’s trained really well, but it would be a big ask for him to come in at this stage and drag us forward,” Neil had said on Friday.

That was exactly what he did.

Neil otherwise kept personnel largely the same, but did move to a more familiar 4-2-3-1 shape. Carl Winchester set the tone by driving forward from right back with his first touch, and his team were rewarded inside the first minute. Pritchard’s delivery to the back post was inch perfect, and Wright did well to head past Amos and into the bottom corner at the near post.

Wigan, still looking a very solid bet for automatic promotion, responded as strongly as you would expect.

Patterson did well not to push a dangerous Max Power free kick from long range back into a dangerous area, and moments later the hosts should have been level when James McClean was left free to meet a low cross at the back post, slicing his effort back across goal and wide.

The hosts were dominating possession, but Sunderland were showing a resilience that has often evaded them on the road this season.

Their play was far from fluid and the defending far from perfect, but they were tenacious and broadly protected Patterson well. Xhemajli epitomised that, winning the vast majority of his aerial duels against an imposing forward line.

With Pritchard again influential, at the half hour mark Sunderland were beginning to just create a few half-openings on the break.

It led to a welcome penalty, good combination play by Winchester and Gooch down the right leading to Stewart pinching the ball ahead of Curtis Tilt just inside the box.

It was a clear trip, and though Power tried to put the Scot off by moving the ball from the spot, a 21st goal of the campaign was fired emphatically into the bottom corner.

Wigan applied more pressure towards the break, but good goalkeeping by Patterson at his near post meant that Sunderland had a lead to try and protect in the second half. Richardson’s side had produced little, but much of their success their season had been borne from late goals and yielding a significant number of points from losing positions.

It was the Black Cats who forged the first opening of the second, Stewart firing a loose ball from a free kick across goal with Wright just not able to connect at close range. Sunderland were breaking with real threat, and were again inches away from a third when Embleton teed up Pritchard, the attacking midfielder just putting his effort wide of the far post.

Wigan were struggling, but were presented with a huge chance when Sunderland switched off and allowed Lang to burst through 1-v-1. Patterson did well, making the save and again holding onto the ball.

His composed goalkeeping was a crucial part of Sunderland’s performance, the hosts applying significant pressure but struggling to turn it into clear chances

As the game entered the final 20 minutes the visitors looked to have steadied, Stewart going close with a dangerous snapshot on the edge of the area.

Wigan threatened when McClean delivered a free kick to the back post, but an excellent header from Tilt flashed just wide of Patterson’s far post.

Chances had been otherwise few and far between, and Sundrland kept pushing for a third when they could.

The introduction of Jack Clarke proved key in that regard, the Tottenham loanee again bringing threat with his direct running.

His dangerous run forced a free kick from the edge of the area, his own effort pushed just wide of the near post by Amos. From his corner a penalty was given to the widespread bemusement of all in the ground, and Stewart stepped up to again send Amos the wrong way, and to send the away support into delirium.

Sunderland XI: Patterson; Winchester, Wright, Xhemajli, Cirkin; Evans Matete, Gooch, Pritchard (Neil, 81), Embleton (Clarke, 78); Stewart

Subs: Hoffmann, Clarke, Hume, Dajaku, Defoe, Roberts

Wigan Athletic XI: Amos; Darikwa, Whatmough, Tilt, McClean; Naylor (Massey, 88), Power; Lang, Keane, Edwards (Shinnie, 69); Magennis (Humphrys, 60)

Subs: Jones, Watts, Bennett, Rea

Bookings: Matete, 7 Power, 37 Magennis, 45 Gooch, 45 Embleton, 70 Pritchard, 76 Stewart, 82 Tilt, 83 Naylor, 84 Cirkin, 90

Attendance: 20,136

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Sunderland AFC coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription to our new sports-only package here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor