Tony Mowbray insists Sunderland deserved their comfortable 2-0 win against Middlesbrough - regardless of the red card which gave them a helping hand. Second-half goals from Ross Stewart and Amad were enough to see off the Teessiders at the Stadium of Light, and see the Black Cats climb to ninth in the Championship table and to within a point of the play-off spots.
Boro were reduced to ten men soon after half-time when Dael Fry was sent off for a professional foul on Stewart, and conceded a penalty in the process. Stewart's spot-kick was saved but he tucked home the rebound, before Amad made sure of the points ten minutes from time.
But in truth Sunderland should have had the game won before the interval when it was still 11-vs-11, creating at least four clear-cut opportunities that they just could not finish. "Amad had an opportunity where he was one-on-one with the keeper where he read the goalie's pass - you were just waiting for the net to bulge on that one," said Black Cats head coach Mowbray, who began his playing career and later managed Boro.
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"Then there was a brilliant bit of play that put Ross Stewart in, a great run across the front of the defender six yards out but the shot went over the bar, and you're normally expecting the net to bulge on that. We knew we'd played alright in the first half, we'd denied them too many clear-cut opportunities and created some ourselves.
"But we've been in games like that where we have been punished, where they score from a set-play, you can't break them down, you lose 1-0 and everybody is unhappy. We played well enough to earn the result today."
Of the penalty and sending off, Mowbray added: "I've just been discussing - was it a penalty? Was it a sending off? I haven't seen it [again], I don't know.
"I know we've had sendings off this season and weeks down the line, no-one says 'you played 70 minutes against Swansea [down to ten men] and got beat 3-1'. The result is the result.
"I think we deserved to win, we created chances and we moved the ball well. We played against a good team that has got very definitive patterns of play and rotations in their team.
"We worked hard, we were organised. It was the right result in my mind, but of course Middlesbrough will have their own opinions."
Sunderland suffered an injury blow inside the first ten minutes when skipper Corry Evans limped off with a knee problem, but Mowbray feels it will not be a serious issue. He said: "Corry took a knock on the outside of his knee.
"Fingers crossed it will be fine. It's the FA Cup next week anyway so we will make a call on Corry, but it's just a knock I think - no damage to cartilage or ligaments.
"Corry is a big player for this team. If you think about the likes of Danny Batth, Corry Evans and Ross Stewart, they have experience and they are surrounded by some young kids. It's important we keep him fit and going in the big games."
Lynden Gooch was missing from the teamsheet and Mowbray explained that he was the player he had spoken about during the week who needed to go for a scan. He said: "Goochy has a hip flexor problem.
"I was trying to cajole him two days ago that it would be alright! I've played with a load of hip flexor injuries.
"But the moment I knew he was going for a scan, that was the moment that I knew he probably wasn't going to play. Scans show everything!
"It'll probably be two or three weeks for him, they are saying. Twenty or 30 years ago we never had scans - I got sent to Redcar beach if I had a hip problem and I had to get in the sea past my waist and stand there for 20 minutes, and then I'd be alright for Saturday!
"That's how football used to be. Today, we just have to accept it. It is what it is."
In Gooch's absence, Aji Alese came in at left-back for his first outing since suffering an ankle injury before Christmas, although he went off 20 minutes from time suffering from cramp. Mowbray said: "Alese has had one training session with the team in five weeks. I pulled him in my office yesterday and said it's either Jack Clarke at left-back or we need you to step up.
"He was delighted. It's a huge credit to him, because he hasn't kicked a ball on the training pitch for five weeks.
"He came off with cramp near the end which is understandable, but that's the attitude and personality that you want in your footballers. Everyone will have been watching that on TV - his family and friends and what have you - and of course it could have gone the other way for him, but he was steady as a rock, doing his job, helping us get a clean sheet and great credit to him."
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