How did the players fare in Sunderland's 3-0 win at Preston?
PRESTON (3-1-4-2):
WOODMAN 7; Storey 5, Lindsay 4, Bauer 4; Ledson 5; Potts 4, McCann 4, Delap 4 (Woodburn 69, 4), Fernandez 5; Parrott 5 (Onomah 56, 5), Cannon 5.
Subs (not used): Cornell (gk), Kamara, Slater, Leigh, Mawene.
SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1):
7 Patterson: Made a couple of fairly routine saves when required, and left his line effectively to claim crosses
8 Gooch: Proved his versatility yet again by slotting in as a third centre-half following the half-time reshuffle
7 Hume: Did well against Parrott in the first half and continues to impress wherever he plays in the backline
7 O’Nien: Led by example as he won headers and made thumping challenges to contain the Preston attack
6 Cirkin: Fared pretty well defensively in the first half, but departed at half-time as Sunderland changed shape in the second half
7 Neil: Mopped up effectively in front of the Black Cats’ defence and played some incisive forward passes
9 EKWAH: Ran the game from the heart of midfield, driving Sunderland forward and unpicking the Preston defence
8 Roberts: Caused the Preston defence a succession of problems as he drifted in from the right-hand side to threaten the goal
8 Amad: Sent Sunderland on their way with a brilliant finish to open the scoring – has become a talismanic figure this season
8 Clarke: Was a constant threat when he cut in from left and sealed the deal with a superb finish for the third goal
7 Gelhardt: Saw a first-half effort saved by Woodman and was busy and industrious as he led the line
Subs:
8 Pritchard (for Cirkin, 46): Created some breathing space with a clinical 20-yard finish for Sunderland’s second goal
6 Anderson (for Gooch, 66): Helped ensure Preston were unable to get back into the game in the closing stages
Michut (for Gelhardt, 72)
(not used): Bass (gk), Taylor, Ba, Lihadji.
Man Of The Match: PIERRE EKWAH – The Sunderland midfielder has come on in leaps and bounds in the last few weeks, and this was his best display for the club by some distance.
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