ELIEZER MAYENDA has scored six goals for Sunderland this season – four of them have come against Sheffield Wednesday. Tasked with replacing the rested Wilson Isidor at Hillsborough last night, the Spaniard once again preyed on the Owls as Sunderland kept their hopes of claiming automatic promotion alive.
True, the Black Cats rode their luck, surviving an early penalty appeal when Leo Hjelde appeared to handle the ball in his own area and seeing Mayenda’s first-half opener allowed to stand despite the ball also hitting the Spaniard on the arm in the build-up to the goal.
Having conceded a sloppy second-half equaliser to Callum Paterson, though, there was still much to admire in the dogged defending and slick counter-attacking that enabled Sunderland to claim all three points thanks to Mayenda’s second goal of the night, which came courtesy of a powerful close-range header from Trai Hume’s cross.
Regis Le Bris was able to shuffle his squad, resting a number of key players, while still overseeing a victory that took Sunderland back to within five points of the top two. An automatic-promotion spot remains a long shot, with second-placed Sheffield United heading to QPR this afternoon, but the Black Cats remain in the mix with 11 more games to play.
After the back-to-back defeats to Leeds and Hull, this was a night when Le Bris decided a refresh was required, and he will be happy at the way in which his changes played out. Two of his five alterations were enforced, with Dan Ballard and Enzo Le Fee nursing recently-acquired injuries, but three weren’t, with Dennis Cirkin, Chris Rigg and Wilson Isidor all dropping to the bench.
The Sunderland boss’ most surprising selection decision was the positioning of Alan Browne, with the recalled Irishman playing as the attacking head of the Black Cats’ midfield triangle as a direct replacement for Rigg. It felt as though the more attack-minded Jobe Bellingham might have been a better bet playing directly behind Eliezer Mayenda, but Browne got the nod and delivered an effective performance.
Admittedly, the key decisions went Sunderland’s way rode their luck. Another of the recalled players, Hjelde, was involved in the first of the game’s two contentious moments, with the ball appearing to catch his flailing hand as he jumped to try to win a corner in the tenth minute. The defender’s arm was certainly in an unnatural position, but referee Will Finnie waved away Sheffield Wednesday’s penalty appeals.
The hosts were the more threatening side for the opening half-hour or so, although in truth, it was not a night when either team was particularly threatening for long spells.
Djeidi Gassama volleyed over at the back post after Barry Bannan floated in an inviting cross, before Josh Windass side-footed over from eight yards when he should really have done better after breaking onto Pol Valentin’s right-wing cross.
Valentin’s overlapping runs from full-back were a key feature of Wednesday’s attacking all night, with the Spaniard coming out on top in his private battle with Hjelde. He made another dangerous break just before the half-hour mark, but while Paterson broke to the front post to meet his cross, his glanced header sailed over the crossbar.
Sunderland hadn’t really threatened at that stage, but somewhat against the run of play, the visitors claimed the lead in the 34th minute. It was a controversial goal, with the ball striking Mayenda’s arm after Wednesday centre-half Max Lowe made a complete hash of trying to deal with Hjelde’s long ball forward.
Mayenda seized possession and bundled the ball home via a deflection off Lowe. Had the goal been scored in the Premier League, it would have been ruled out by VAR, with Mayenda’s handball, no matter how accidental, leading directly to him finding the net. In the Championship, with no video technology, it stood.
Bellingham came close to doubling Sunderland’s lead shortly before the interval, hammering in a shot that was deflected over after Romaine Mundle dribbled infield from the left flank, but the Black Cats were punished for a sloppy start to the second half when they conceded an avoidable equaliser three minutes after the break.
Browne played Chris Mepham into trouble with a sloppy backward pass, Mepham conceded possession as he overran the ball trying to extricate himself from trouble, and Wednesday were off down their left. Svante Ingelsson stood up an inviting cross, and Paterson headed home from the edge of the six-yard box.
The game would have turned entirely had Anthony Patterson not made a fine save a couple of minutes after the home side’s equaliser, with the goalkeeper justifying Le Bris’ continued faith in him as he acrobatically tipped Ingelsson’s goal-bound drive over the crossbar.
Whereas Sunderland had just about matched their opponents before the break, they were on the back foot for much of the second half, although the lack of quality in most of Sheffield Wednesday’s deliveries from the flanks meant Mepham and Luke O’Nien were largely able to keep the opposition at bay.
O’Nien was making his 300th Sunderland appearance, a landmark that underlines just how valuable a player he has been since signing from Wycombe Wanderers. With Ballard set for a lengthy spell to the sidelines, he is going to remain a crucial figure for the remainder of the campaign.
Mayenda will hope to be every bit as influential at the other end of the field, and having been the one Sunderland player consistently asking questions of the Wednesday defence with his powerful running, the striker restored his side’s lead with 19 minutes remaining.
Hume swung over a deep cross from the right-hand side, and after peeling off Michael Ihiekwe towards the back post, Mayenda powered home a brilliant header from the edge of the six-yard box.
