Alex Pritchard has hailed both manager Alex Neil and goalscorer Ross Stewart after Sunderland beat Wycombe Wanderers to earn promotion to the Championship - and admitted he will ‘soak this in’.
Goals from Stewart and Elliott Embleton sealed a 2-0 win at Wembley to end the Black Cats’ play-off hoodoo and send the red and white half of Wembley into rapture. And Neil’s decision to start Embleton ahead of Jack Clarke paid instant dividends as the local lad fired the ball past David Stockdale.
Wycombe applied pressure for long periods but Sunderland’s quality paid off when Man of the Match Pritchard worked the ball brilliantly to Stewart who fired through the legs of his namesake Anthony Stewart and into the bottom corner.
READ MORE: Sunderland 2-0 Wycombe Wanderers LIVE: Ross Stewart fires Black Cats to brink of promotion
And Pritchard hailed both his manager and the goalscorer for their pivotal roles in the win, admitting he and his teammates need to let it all sink in.
“Big thank you to Lee Johnson, at the start of it. A lot of credit to him,” Pritchard said after the game. “And obviously the gaffer that's come in, he's been unbelievable. We've had some tough times this year, and the fans deserve it, they’ve been unbelievable.
“Before [Neil] came in we were leaking goals, but to be fair the two boys today at the back were solid - they were solid in the semi-final in both legs. He’s just made us more solid. We're always a threat. We're always a threat going forward. We got players that can score - Ross Stewart today, Embo, Clarkey. We're always a threat going forward, and if we cut the goals out that we have done, we're gonna win games.
“[Stewart] is unbelievable. The size of him, on the ball, he can run, he can hold the ball up, he's good with his feet. He's got everything. He’s great in the air. Holds the ball up and he gets in behind and you see in the semi-finals – the goal he got in behind and he’s so quick. And he’s been a revelation this year for us.”
Pritchard played a pivotal role in the win and was good value for his Man of the Match award, linking play elegantly in midfield and providing the skill to set up Stewart for the goal that sealed it. The 29-year-old admitted that he and his teammates just need to let the result sink in, but hinted there may be some raucous celebrations on the cards.
We just got to soak this in now. You've seen the fan base, you see the size of the club – I’ve seen it on social media in Trafalgar Square - they've been unbelievable,” he added.
"With this club with the ambitious owners, the world's your oyster. I'll be having a few beers.”
