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SUNDERLAND AFC 4 SOUTHEND UNITED 0
Connolly (4)
Hysen (13)
John (76, 77)
Attendance
33,576
League Position
Fifth
Team
Fulop
Simpson, Evans, Nosworthy, Collins
Edwards, Whitehead, Miller, Hysen
John, Connolly
Subs: Ward, Leadbitter, Wallace, Yorke and Stokes
Analysis
Well my concerns about this being potential banana skin we soon put to rest after just 4 miunutes. David Connolly has request his boots be stored in an ice cooler between games because he's absolutely on fire at the moment. Carlos Edwards crossed the ball in for Connors to finish from close range.
The long on going debate as to who should play on the left wing between Hysen and Wallace appears to be over now. Personally I have always preferred Hysen due to his pace, but scoring Sunderland's second looks to have commited Wallace to the bench for now. Hysen latched onto Connors ball before skipping past hunt and firing left foot shot past Flahavan on 13 minutes.
Sunderland finished the half by far the better side, unlucky not be 3 or 4 ahead before the break.
In the second half, as mexican waves break out across Sunderland's Stadium of Light, Anthony Stokes comes on for Tobias Hysen. The home side seem in very high spirits.
I think you'll agree that a few eyebrows were raised when Roy Keane purchased Stern John from Coventry City for 250k in January, but Keano got it right yet again. I can't think of a poor signing he has made to date. Out of the entire squad today only 4 players remain from last season which is Collins, Nozza, Whitehead and Leadbitter.
Stern John however grabbed Sunderland's 3rd and 4th as the Mackems turned the screw and sent Southend packing.
The first came on 76 minutes as Miller turned on his left foot and passed straight to John who smashed the ball home. The second goal game just 60 seconds later, when Whitehead rattled the cross bar before John was on hand to steer the ball home with a left foot shot.
In terms of how important this result is, I can't stress its worth enough. We have a very tough run in now with Derby (H), Birmingham (A) and West Brom (A) all coming. It was important that we won this game, but it was even more important how we won this game.
All the teams we play in the next three games will be looking at our result today, our current form and will be more concerned about them playing us than we are about playing them.
We're hitting form at just the right time and I think we're playing these teams at the best possible time too. We have nothing to fear going into these games. We are the form team in this league and we have won 6 of our last 7 games, won the last three, only conceeded 2 goals in those 7 games and kept a clean sheet in the last 4, that's 360 minutes of football. At the other end of the field we have been exceptional too, scoring a massive 15 goals in 7 games, averaging 2 goals per game.
This result takes us another step closer to gaining back our Premiership status.
Ha'way the lads!!!
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