Sunderland put five goals past ten-man Cambridge United at the Stadium of Light to climb back into the play-off spots and up to fourth place in the table. Ross Stewart won and converted an early penalty after he was brought down inside the area, with U's defender Lloyd Jones shown a straight red card for denying him a goalscoring opportunity.
Elliot Embleton added the second just before the half-hour with a tremendous free-kick, before Paul Digby pulled a goal back for the visitors. But Stewart restored Sunderland's two-goal cushion before half-time, and Nathan Broadhead added a fourth goal just after the interval before Danny Batth completed the rout inside the final 20 minutes with his first goal for the club.
The win extended Sunderland's unbeaten run to 11 games, and it was also their fifth win in a row on home soil. But it was the impact on the play-off picture that really mattered to Sunderland, and they now look well-placed to secure a top six finish.
