Sunderland end opening day misery as Jack Ross ends new job misery

by Steve Clare

Sunderland won their opening match of the first time in nine years. They came back from a half time deficit against injury plagued Charlton Athletic to win 2-1 in League One.

The win was a joy for their loyal fans among the 31,079 who last saw their side win an opener on August 15, 2009 when Junior Bent scored a fifth minute winner at Bolton.

For a long period today however, it looked like the hoodoo was set to continue. Debutant Charlie Maguire gave away a needless penalty early on for a foul on Karlan Ahearne-Grant which was converted by Lyle Taylor for the Valiants. To add insult to injury, Taylor had been a pre-season Sunderland target. There were more than decent chances at both ends but the lack of finishing quality was apparent.

The second half onslaught proved too much for a Charlton side missing six probably starters including midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey who may miss most of the season after suffering a severe injury to his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) during training on Thursday. He joins joins Billy Clarke, Igor Vetokele, Tariqe Fosu and Ben Reeves on caretaker manager Lee Bowyer’s long-term injury list.

In 65 minutes, Josh Maja equalised for Sunderland with a low shot that crept inside Dillon Phillips’ right hand post. Californian Lynden Gooch scored the winner with a bullet header deep into stoppage time to give Sunderland all three points.

New Sunderland boss Jack Ross is no stranger to poor starts having won just one of his first 15 games as Alloa Athletic manager and lost his first six as St Mirren boss. Both his and Sunderland’s history was rewritten today though as the Black Cats began their bid for an immediate return to the Championship with a win. 16 year old midfielder Bali Mumba started for the home side.

“Today we got an example how difficult it ‘s going to be week in week out, Ross said after the match.

There was quick good news for his old side too as Danny Mullen gave St Mirren an eighth minute lead on their return to the Scottish Premier League. In the Championship’s early game Derby County beat Reading 2-1.

Sunderland: McLaughlin, Love (Oviedo 26), Matthews, Loovens, Ozturk, O’Nien (Sinclair 45 (Molyneux 90)), Honeyman, Mumba, Maguire, Gooch, Maja.
Subs not used: Ruiter, Baldwin, Embleton, Hume.

Charlton Athletic: Phillips, Page, Bauer, Pearce (Sarr 90), Marshall, Taylor, Pratley, Aribo, Grant, Solly, Lapslie.
Subs not used: Ajose, Maynard-Brewer, Maloney, Hackett-Fairchild.