'Tony Mowbray's red and white army,' sang the Roker End late in the game as Sunderland closed in on a deserved win against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light. 'Tony, Tony, give us a wave,' they implored, until Mowbray obliged.
For the Boro fans perched high in the North Stand, it was a twist of the knife. Their team had been outplayed, reduced to ten men, was trailing 2-0, and now Boro's homegrown hero - a former captain and manager no less - was being serenaded by supporters of the team they regard as their derby rivals.
It was the kind of day they will want to forget in a hurry. As for Sunderland, this was a statement of intent.
