Source: Northern_Echo
Striker-less Black Cats power to safety
SUNDERLAND might have to finish the season without any fit strikers but they finally produced a performance worthy of bringing an end to a worrying nine-match run without a a win this afternoon.[LNB] Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck both had to make early exits with hamstring trouble, but that did not stop the Black Cats from claiming a vital victory that should secure their place in the Premier League.[LNB] When Mohamed Diame had powered Wigan ahead with a thunderous drive from distance six minutes after the break, it would have been easy for Sunderland fans' concerns to grow further.[LNB] But after Gyan's last contribution was to head the equaliser a few minutes later, Sunderland suddenly lifted themselves and took charge.[LNB] Two goals from Jordan Henderson sandwiched a penalty from Stephane Sessegnon to put the smiles back on the faces of manager Steve Bruce and chairman Niall Quinn.[LNB] And while Franco Di Santo grabbed a late second for Wigan, Sunderland had made the points safe which is exactly what they should be now after a worrying few weeks on Wearside.[LNB] Bruce must have feared the worst when he lost two of his key players in the opening 26 minutes through injury.[LNB] Phil Bardsley, who needed oxygen and seven minutes of treatment after a clash of heads with Nedum Onuoha, was the first to go, while Welbeck felt a recurrence of his hamstring problem.[LNB] The changes, with no striker on the bench, clearly disrupted the plans that Bruce had in place, with Sessegnon asked to play alongside Gyan.[LNB] Initially the Black Cats struggled to create anything, with Wigan the team to have recorded a shot on target in the first half when Simon Mignolet had to turn a shot from Hugo Rodallega away for a corner.[LNB] Lee Cattermole was the driving force behind Sunderland and it was him who they turned to when Wigan took the lead six minutes after half-time.[LNB] Gyan missed a header on half way, Charles N'Zogbia fed Diame, who turned Michael Turner before firing a rasping drive from 25 yards inside Mignolet's right post.[LNB] The lead lasted three minutes. A Henderson corner quickly broke down and rolled back to Cattermole on half way.[LNB] The captain immediately picked out Steed Malbranque on the right and he cut inside, delivered and Gyan rose unmarked to nod the equaliser beyond Ali Al-Habsi.[LNB] But when Gyan pulled up with a hamstring tear moments later, Bruce had no other striker to turn to. On came Sulley Muntari, who played left midfield and that meant Sessegnon up front on his own.[LNB] Muntari's first involvement was to send over a decent cross, Henderson chested down before unleashing powerful left foot drive in to Al-Habsi's top right corner.[LNB] Suddenly any nervous tension had been lifted and Sunderland looked like the team that had climbed to sixth earlier in the season.[LNB] With 18 minutes remaining Muntari fought off two challenges, played a neat one-two with Malbranque before a pass to Sessegnon ended with the Benin international earning a penalty for a foul from Antolin Alcaraz.[LNB] Sessegnon picked himself up and coolly sent Al-Habsi the wrong way with a well taken penalty. That was followed, five minutes later, by a fourth for Sunderland.[LNB] Again Sessegnon was involved. This time he burst down line before picking out the unmarked Henderson, who made no mistake by shooting low underneath Al-Habsi.[LNB] Wigan got one back late on when Di Santo scored from close range, but Sunderland lifted themselves seven points clear of the bottom three.[LNB] SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Mignolet; Elmohamady, Onuoha, Turner, Bardsley (Ferdinand 11); Henderson, Cattermole, Colback, Sessegnon; Welbeck (Malbranque 26), Gyan (Muntari 63). Subs: Carson (gk), Zenden, Riveros, Meyler.[LNB] WIGAN ATHLETIC (4-5-1): Al-Habsi; Boyce (Stam 74), Caldwell, Alcaraz, Gohouri; N'Zogbia (Di Santo 84), Watson, McCarthy (Moses 67), Diame, Cleverley; Rodallega. Subs: Kirkland (gk), Thomas, Gomez, Sammon.[LNB]
