Back in the squad, back on the pitch, and back in the goals. Ross Stewart was back with a bang to help Sunderland a earn a point at Hull City.
The Scotland international's three-and-a-half month absence has cast a long shadow over the Black Cats' season with a progress report on Stewart's rehab from a thigh injury becoming as much a feature of a Tony Mowbray press conference as chocolates and biscuits. But after a false start earlier in the week when Mowbray trailed Stewart's return against West Brom only for a minor niggle to see him held back as a precaution, the day finally arrived on Saturday at the MKM Stadium.
And after being introduced on the hour, Stewart needed only 15 minutes to show Sunderland fans what they had been missing. One perfectly-weighted pass from fellow-sub Patrick Roberts, a burst of explosive pace from Stewart to leave two Hull defenders trailing in his wake, and a cool finish that left Tigers keeper Matt Ingram no chance.
