This is how it played out as Sunderland slump to another dismal defeat at Sheffield Wednesday

Just a week on from a superb cup win against a Championship side in QPR, Lee Johnson’s side looked drained and short of ideas as they fell to a 3-0 defeat against a Sheffield Wednesday side who had themselves come into the game in middling form.

Defensive vulnerabilities were again exposed during a first half in which there was actually not a great deal between the teams, but Sunderland twice failed to deal with long balls downfield and were punished by Theo Corbeanu and Florian Kamberi.

When Callum Paterson’s effort fell for Lee Gregory in space inside the box just minutes into the second half, there was no way back for a Black Cats side who failed to draw any meaningful saves from the opposition goalkeeper.

Almost 4,000 travelling fans watched on in despair as their side laboured to another heavy loss, and one that has left their automatic promotion credentials in question.

Johnson had hinted at changes to try and elicit a response from his side, bringing Corry Evans in at the base of midfield to try and provide some solidity. That was mirrored out wide with Aiden O’Brien and Lynden Gooch coming in to try and bring some extra energy and physicality.

In the opening exchanges there was undoubtedly an uptick in the pressing across the pitch, though there was little between the two sides.

Sunderland had the first effort when a clever move ended with Luke O’Nien firing over from the edge of the area.

The hosts had a half-chance of their own when Kamberi gathered a long ball and fired wide on the volley, but that would prove to be a warning that Johnson’s side did not heed.

The back four were a mess as a simple punt forward was gathered by the Wednesday front line, with wing back Corbeanu in acres of space on the left.

He had plenty left to do, but Thorben Hoffmann had no chance of saving his precise effort curled into the far corner.

Sunderland’s confidence visibly drained, Darren Moore’s side initially pressing aggressively and looking the more likely of the two sides.

It took time but that slowly began to change around the half-hour mark, Sunderland finally beginnign to get hold of the ball for longer periods and in advanced areas. Their first meaningful effort came when Cirkin broke the lines with a good pass int the box, Ross Stewart teeing up Aiden O’Brien who saw his low drive well blocked by Dunkley.

All of a sudden the home crowd were beginning to get a touch restless, frustrated that their side were starting to sit off and invite pressure.

The Black Cats thought they had the equaliser when Stewart drove an effort into the back of Gooch, the deflection finding Neil at the back post. The midfielder finished emphatically, but to the dismay of the home dugout the flag had already been raised.

When Peacock-Farrell just about gathered a cross moments later as Carl Winchester lurked, it looked as if the tide had turned.

But an injury in the home defence allowed them a moment to recover, and Sunderland switched off entirely. Peacock-Farrell punted a ball into the channel and the visiting defence failed entirely to deal with it.

Gregory’s cross to the back post once again found Corbeanu, once again unmarked.

Even then, the danger should have been cleared.

The cross was underhit but not cleared, and even then Kamberi’s first touch was poor. There was no pressure, though, and at the second time of asking he had a simple finish.

Sunderland did come close to a response just before the break, Peacock-Farrell saving well from Flanagan before Stewart fired the rebound over the bar.

Johnson opted against making changes at the break, but the hope that it would spark a response from those on the pitch proed to be unfounded.

Though one promising passage of play forced some decent defending from the hosts, the Black Cats looked short of inspiration and found themselves all but out of the game within five minutes.

There was an element of misfortune as Paterson sliced his effot from just inside the box, the loose ball falling to Gregory who had another easy finish.

But it had again been too easy to play through the Black Cats, who left their again remarkable away support left stunned into near silence.

Johnson finally turned to his bench but by now all tempo had been drained from the contest.

Stewart continued to try and knit the play together but the support around his was non-existent, Wednesday coasting through the final stages of the contest.

It was the hosts who went closest to scoring again, Doyle robbed in possession by Kamberi who forced a decent stop from Hoffmann at close range.

The introduction of Pritchard and Embleton at least brought some composure in possession but it was too little, too late.

The game had long been lost and the hosts held on with ease.

Sunderland XI: Hoffmann; Winchester, Flanagan, Doyle, Cirkin; Evans, Neil (Pritchard, 64), O’Nien; Gooch (Embleton, 71), O’Brien (Broadhead, 82), Stewart

Subs: Burge, Alves, Wright, Dajaku

Sheff Wed XI: Peacock-Farrell; Corbeanu (Brown, 82), Dunkley, Palmer; Johnson, Bannan (Dele-Bashiru, 66), Adeniran, Wing; Paterson, Kamberi, Gregory (Berahino, 84)

Subs: Wildsmith, Shodipo, Hunt, Sow

Bookings: Johnson, 57

Attendance: 23, 731

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