TRAI HUME has admitted that even Sunderland’s defenders were forced to stand back and admire the quality of their team-mates’ attacking play during the closing stages of Thursday’s 4-1 hammering of Wigan Athletic.

The Black Cats climbed to fourth position in the Championship table as they won at the DW Stadium, with goals from Patrick Roberts and Amad Diallo in the final five minutes ensuring the final scoreline was a fair reflection of Sunderland’s dominance throughout the game.

Roberts’ goal came at the end of an intricate passing move that saw the midfielder backheel the ball into the path of Dan Neil before receiving a reverse pass, while Amad’s effort came courtesy of a wonderful curled strike into the far corner after the Manchester United loanee had cut in from the right flank.

With Abdoullah Ba impressing in an attacking-midfield role and Jack Clarke also pouring forward from left wing-back, Sunderland’s attacking fluidity caused Wigan problems all night, and Hume was happy to make the most of his front-row seat in the right wing-back berth.

“The last ten minutes was brilliant, wasn’t it,” said the Northern Irishman. “For the goal at the end, I was in the box and was just standing there watching it.

“Within one touch, outside in, and then Amad scored a screamer. If you can get Bailey Wright’s reaction from that goal, with his hands on his head, it was class.”

Hume played his part in Sunderland’s impressive attacking display, with his own surges down the right flank helping to bring some balance to his side’s forward forays.

The 20-year-old is comfortable playing as either a full-back or wing-back, as highlighted by the assist he claimed for the opening goal on Thursday as his half-volley back across the area enabled Ellis Simms to head home from close range at the far post.

“Playing wing-back, you’re trying to arrive in the box at the back post,” he explained. “If Jack Clarke had the ball on the other side, I was arriving in the box to try and get those goals. That’s the way you have to play when you are playing in a back five.

“We didn’t want to sit back and let Wigan come on to us. We wanted to press onto them and get onto them. That’s the way we set up.”

Thursday’s outing was Hume’s third league start of the campaign, and while he has not done anything wrong when he has previously been called into the side, he has found himself having to play second fiddle to an in-form Lynden Gooch.

Gooch’s absence through injury has opened the door for the youngster, and he is determined to make the most of whatever opportunities he is afforded, with another start in tomorrow’s Championship game at Blackpool looking likely.

“Getting game time and getting minutes is what I want,” said Hume, who joined Sunderland from Linfield last January.

“I want to keep on playing. Lynden Gooch’s performances have been excellent, so there’s nothing against it, he’s been top class.

“Obviously, coming in and performing the way I did, I thought I performed well. The team in general performed excellently – I thought we deserved the 4-1 win and could have scored even more.”