Sunderland supporters have now seen both sides of the coin following a brilliant away win at Reading earlier this week. The Black Cats have not had it easy since their return to the Championship, first losing manager Alex Neil to Stoke City relatively out of the blue, then losing Ross Stewart to injury and now Ellis Simms.
The Wearsiders were shown the cruel reality of life back in the second tier, with a disappointing performance in the Tees-Wear derby, with Stewart's injury a real blow. In truth, it was an alarming display in the final third, one where they created almost nothing of note.
You'd be forgiven for expecting a case of deja vu at the Select Car Leasing Stadium when Simms was forced off the field of play with an injury, leaving Tony Mowbray without any fit strikers at the club. However, in an impressive display, Sunderland actually improved and ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, with a brace from Patrick Roberts and a superb team goal rounded off by Jack Clarke.
