Sunderland will take a priceless lead into the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final after coming from behind to beat Luton Town at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats trailed to an early strike from Elijah Adebayo, but Amad scored a stunning equaliser before half-time.
And then just after the hour Trai Hume headed the Wearsiders in front to complete the turnaround in front of a crowd of more than 46,000 - the highest of the season at the Stadium of Light, and therefore the EFL. It means Sunderland will head into Tuesday night's return fixture at Kenilworth Road with a narrow - but crucial - single-goal lead against a Hatters side that had finished 11 points ahead of them in third place at the end of the regular Championship season.
Tony Mowbray made one change to the side that started the final game of the regular Championship season at Preston, which was forced upon him by Dennis Cirkin's ankle injury picked up at Deepdale. Alex Pritchard came into the side in his place, meaning the Black Cats started with a back three against Luton just as they had in the second half against Preston.
READ MORE: Sunderland 2-1 Luton Town: Highlights and reaction as Black Cats secure play-off first leg victory
With third-place already secured going into the final day Luton boss Rob Edwards had made a raft of changes for the goalless draw at home to Hull City, but he reverted to a full strength line-up against Sunderland. That meant eight changes, with Adebayo, Ethan Horvath, Cody Drameh, Tom Lockyer, Carlton Morris, Marvelous Nakamba, Pelly Mpanzu, and Amari'i Bell returning, in place of James Shea, Dan Potts, Sonny Bradley, Louie Watson, Allan Campbell, Fred Onyedinma, Joe Taylor, and Luke Freeman.
Morris sent a harmless header straight at Anthony Patterson inside the opening five minutes, but it was Sunderland who dominated the early exchanges. Joe Gelhardt released Jack Clarke down the left, he cut into the penalty area but then sent his shot into the sidenetting.
Then Patrick Roberts cut infield from the right and hit a low shot which Horvath could only push out, but Gelhardt could not get on the end of the loose ball before it was cleared. But it was Luton who drew first blood, scoring in the 11th minute from their first corner of the match.
The set-piece was delivered into the box and Luton made their height advantage count as they won a series of headers before the ball fell to Alfie Doughty but his shot was brilliantly saved by Patterson, only for the rebound to fall for Adebayo six yards out and he lashed into net. After going in front, Luton began to put pressure on Sunderland and it needed a fine block from Hume to deflect an Adebayo shot wide midway through the half.
Just after the half-hour, Patterson got down low to his left to save and hold onto a Doughty free-kick from 25 yards out when the Luton man had tried to catch him out at his near post. Sunderland finished the half strongly and got back on terms six minutes before the break when a foul by Mpanzu on Roberts gave them a free-kick just outside the right-hand corner of the box.
Pritchard tapped it to Amad, and he took a stride before bending an unstoppable shot beyond Horvath into the top left-hand corner of the net. Sunderland continued to press in the run-up to the interval with Amad seeing an effort deflected wide, while Pierre Ekwah sent a shot from range straight at the keeper.
Soon after half-time, Gelhardt steered a shot wide after good work down the right from Pritchard. And just after the hour, a surging run from Roberts ended with his shot deflecting wide for a corner.
But it was from that corner in the 63rd minute that Sunderland went in front. The set-piece on the left was eventually worked to Clarke, and his cross found Hume who had got in front of Gabe Osho to plant a header past Horvath into the left side of the net.
Amad sent a free-kick over the bar from 25 yards midway through the second period. Sunderland kept pouring forward and they looked more likely to score a third goal than Luton did to find an equaliser.
The third goal would not come, however, and in the end Sunderland managed the game to the final whistle to ensure they take a lead into the second leg.
How they lined up
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, O'Nien, Gooch, Roberts (Huggins 81), Neil, Ekwah, Clarke, Amad, Pritchard (Ba 90), Gelhardt. Subs not used: Bass, Lihadji, Michut, Anderson, Taylor
Booked: Neil, O'Nien, Amad
Luton Town: Horvath, Osho, Lockyer, Bell, Drameh (Onyedinma 72), Mpanzu, Nakamba, Clark (Berry 79), Doughty (Burke 88), Morris, Adebayo. Subs not used: Shea, Potts, Campbell, Freeman
Booked: Nakamba, Mpanzu, Doughty, Clark
Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex)
Attendance: 46,060
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- Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag makes decision on Sunderland loanee Amad
- Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray on the 'dark arts' needed to nullify Luton's set-piece advantage
