Alex Neil says Sunderland could have hit double figures against Cambridge United in what he feels was the best performance since he took over on Wearside - no matter that it was against ten men. The Black Cats ended up winning 5-1, but were assisted by playing for more than 75 minutes with a man advantage after U's defender Lloyd Jones was sent off for denial of a goalscoring opportunity when he fouled Ross Stewart inside the penalty area.
Neil felt it was a clear penalty but agreed with Cambridge boss Mark Bonner that the red card was harsh, but from the moment that Stewart converted the spot-kick Sunderland did not look back. Elliot Embleton, Stewart again, Nathan Broadhead, and Danny Batth added further goals, with Paul Digby briefly pulling one back for the visitors to make it 2-1.
And the win lifted Sunderland up to fourth in the table, keeping them firmly on course for a play-off place with two games left to play. "From minute one, I thought we were great," said Neil.
