Tony Mowbray was delighted to see Joe Gelhardt get off the mark for Sunderland at Rotherham - even though his goal proved nothing more than a consolation. With top scorer Ross Stewart ruled out for the remainder of the season, the pressure has been on January loan signing from Leeds United Gelhardt to step into his shoes and score goals, and all the more so since he is the only out-and-out centre-forward available to Mowbray in the final two-and-a-half months of the campaign.
Mowbray has been unshakeable in his belief that the 20-year-old would score goals, and his faith proved justified at the New York Stadium as Gelhardt opened his account in his fifth outing for the club. And the youngster had already seen one 'goal' chalked off for offside against Rotherham, and in the final minute he another big chance to score a late leveller only to be denied by goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, as the struggling Millers held out to earn a 2-1 win.
"I think he works really hard," Mowbray said of Gelhardt. "He will score goals and he's a good footballer.
