Source: northern_echo
Sunderland outclass Newcastle to secure emphatic derby success
Sunderland outclass Newcastle to secure emphatic derby success
1:56pm Sunday 14th April 2013 in Sunderland AFC News
By Scott Wilson
PAOLO Di Canio celebrated a dream introduction to the Tyne-Wear derby as Sunderland outclassed Newcastle to secure a remarkable 3-0 win at St James' Park.
The result, which lifts the Black Cats three points clear of the relegation zone, was thoroughly deserved as Sunderland produced their best display of the season on the day that matters most to the club's fans.
Stephane Sessegnon's first-half strike handed the Wearsiders the initiative, before stunning second-half goals from Adam Johnson and David Vaughan secured Sunderland's biggest win at St James' Park since 1979.
Newcastle were second best throughout, and while Alan Pardew's side remain five points above the drop zone, they cannot afford to take their survival for granted with five games to go.
Sunderland were deprived of the services of Lee Cattermole, Steven Fletcher and Connor Wickham while Newcastle were able to recall Mathieu Debuchy, Steven Taylor and Cheik Tiote, yet the visitors were the more composed side throughout.
The Black Cats won the majority of the early 50-50 challenges, and with Seb Larsson outshining both Tiote and Yohan Cabaye at the heart of midfield, it was Paolo Di Cabio's side that carved out the best of the early openings.
Sunderland might well have had a 14th-minute penalty when Steven Taylor tugged Danny Graham's shirt to prevent the striker turning in the box, and with the visitors continuing to dominate, the deadlock was deservedly broken 13 minutes later.
Jonas Gutierrez conceded possession to James McClean, who fed the ball infield to Sessegnon. The Benin international held off Gutierrez's weak attempt at a challenge and, with Taylor backing off, drilled a 20-yard drive into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Di Canio leapt on to the field to celebrate, but Sunderland's opener finally woke Nerwcastle from their slumbers, and Simon Mignolet produced an excellent save to parry Papiss Cisse's close-range shot.
The Sunderland goalkeeper was called into action moments later, getting down low to save Cisse's shot, but the Black Cats might well have doubled their lead four minutes before the break.
Carlos Cuellar evaded Moussa Sissoko to meet Larsson's corner on the edge of the six-yard box, but aimed his header much too close to Tim Krul.
The final flurry of the first half came at the other end, with Mignolet turning Gutierrez's floated shot around the post and Larsson heading Cisse's deflected shot off the line from the resulting corner.
Pardew must have been concerned at his side's lack of invention before the break, and his response was to replace the disappointing Yoan Gouffran with Shola Ameobi at the interval.
However, Sunderland created the opening chance of the second half. McClean drilled a long clearance into the Newcastle half, and after Debuchy made a mess of his defensive header, Johnson attempted a weak chip which was easily saved by Krul.
The start of the second half was disrupted by injuries to first Phil Bardsley and then Krul, with Jack Colback and Rob Elliot coming on to replace the stricken duo.
Newcastle's second-half display was much more energetic than the first, and the hosts were controversially denied a leveller shortly after the hour mark.
Cisse was level with the last Sunderland defender when he reacted quickest to flick home Sissoko's header, but the assistant incorrectly raised his flag and the goal was disallowed.
That was a let off for the Black Cats, but the Magpies also survived a borderline decision shortly after. Danny Graham's back-post header hit Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa's arm, but referee Howard Webb waved play on.
The second half was a much more open affair than the first, and Newcastle came close to an equaliser with 19 minutes left. Debuchy headed Sylvain Marveaux's cross across the area, but substitute Hatem Ben Arfa headed over from ten yards.
It was a crucial miss as, two minutes later, Sunderland scored a second goal to double their lead. It was a stunning solo strike from Johnson, with the Easington-born winger cutting in from the right flank before curling a magnificent 20-yard effort into the left-hand corner of the net.
It could have got even worse for Newcastle, as Elliot had to produce a smart save to prevent Alfred N'Diaye's 80th-minute strike creeping into the same spot Johnson had found nine minutes earlier.
However, Sunderland did not have to wait long for their third goal, and when it arrived, it was a cracker. Sessegnon fed the ball to Vaughan on the left-hand side, and the substitute angled a searing rising drive past a shell-shocked Elliot.
NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Krul (Elliot 57); Debuchy, S Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Gutierrez; Tiote, Cabaye (Ben Arfa 63); Marveaux, Sissoko, Gouffran (Shola Ameobi 46); Cisse.
Subs (not used): Haidara, Perch, Anita, Campbell.
SUNDERLAND (4-4-1-1): Mignolet; Bardsley (Colback 54), Cuellar (Mangane 71), O'Shea, Rose; Johnson, N'Diaye, Larsson, McClean (Vaughan 65); Sessegnon; Graham.
Subs (not used): Westwood (gk), Kilgallon, Laidler, Mandron.
