This is how it played out as Sunderland substitutes fire Sunderland to crucial win over Crewe

Alex Neil’s side had laboured for 84 minutes when substitute Dan Neil raced onto a Ross Stewart pass, his first-time effort from the edge of the area flying into the top corner.

Fellow substitute Patrick Roberts scored four minutes later after an excellent break to rescue the hosts from what had been an otherwise laboured display against Crewe Alexandra.

Neil had been encouraged by the attacking threat had showed in the latter stages of an otherwise concerning performance in the win over Fleetwood earlier this week, and so brought Jermain Defoe, Lynden Gooch and Luke O’Nien in from the start.

The hosts did start brightly and there was no doubting the industry across the pitch, but by and large Crewe were comfortable in dealing with the long ball forward from the back.

It looked as if Sunderland were set to take their lead when one of those direct passes from Carl Winchester sprung Defoe clear, but his first touch ran too far and allowed the goalkeeper to gather.

In terms of significant chances that was just about for an utterly tepid first half, the visitors defending deep and taking time out of the game wherever possible.

Sunderland didn’t really have the answers, lacking incision on the ball and movement in the final third.

Almost forty minutes had been played when the Black Cats had their first shot on target, Ross Stewart doing well to get across his marker at a corner and head Jack Clarke’s corner towards goal. It was better, but still an ultimately comfortable save for Richards.

Sunderland needed more tempo, more urgency and more quality if they were to avoid dropping points on an afternoon when the clear need was for all three.

More of the same at the start of the second saw Neil turn to his bench, Dan Neil and Leon Dajaku introduced as the home team laboured.

Crewe had offered little themselves, but missed a good chance to score from a corner as Sunderland’s precarious position was underlined. They came even closer with a quarter of the game to play, Sunderland caught in a dreadful defensive shape as a simple ball through the middle of the pitch carved them open.

Long was in and had a glorious chance to score, but couldn’t keep his composure and blazed his effort high and wide. Moments later Long was in again as the home defence switched off, this time shooting straight at Patterson.

That finally sparked a response from the home side, Matete forging a shooting chance for himself as he burst into the box, but Richards did well to narrow the angle and save.

The game looked to be drifting, but Neil’s timely return to the spotlight finally gave his side the lead and broke the contest open.

Roberts benefited from that, racing onto a pass from Jack Clarke and scoring with a firm finish to the far corner.

Sunderland XI: Patterson; Winchester, Wright, Cirkin; Gooch (Dajaku, 58), Matete , Evans, Clarke; O’Nien (Neil, 58), Stewart, Defoe (Roberts, 63)

Subs: Hoffmann, Doyle, Embleton, Roberts, Hume

Crewe Alexandra XI: Richards, Harper (Sambou, 74), Offord, Long, Lowery, Ainley (Finney, 79) , Griffiths, Lundstram, Johnson, Williams (Salisbury, 90), O’Riordan

Subs: Jasskelainen, Porter, Murphy, Onyeka

Bookings: Gooch, 29 Williams, 66 Lundstram, 67 Wright, 73 Lowery, 75 Clarke, 90

Attendance: 30,036

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