GOOD NEWS FOR LUTON Town:He is back finally…
If anyone had any doubts about Sunderland’s resilience under pressure then they were wiped away at Luton Town on Wednesday night. Central defenders Luke O’Nien and Chris Mepham were battered and bruised with head injuries as they repelled attack after attack and you only have to look at the statistics to know what they went through alongside their defensive colleagues and midfielders.
The marking for the goal they conceded was found wanting but that was the one blemish. Luton had 57 per cent possession which is not unusual and had 19 shots to Sunderland’s nine. The telling stat was the home team had a staggering 44 crosses but only 10 of them were successful. That demonstrates just how stoic the visitors’ defence was.
In contrast the Black Cats produced only four crosses with zero impact. Another factor was Regis Le Bris’ side made 42 clearances in their own box to Luton’s four, 23 of them headers.
The only stat that mattered when the final whistle blew and the players squared up to each other was that Sunderland won 2-1. For them to prevail in the face of such fierce pressure adds another string to the team’s bow.
Credit must go to Le Bris for bringing in Alan Browne over Patrick Roberts, making just one change, sacrificing a little flair for stability. Browne was excellent and should play in Dan Neil’s place in my view.
There was some tactical nous too just after the half-hour mark when goalkeeper Anthony Patterson decided to sit down when the play was nowhere near him, feigning the need for attention to stop the game and allow Le Bris to get into his players. Luton had just had six corners in succession and needed that break.
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