Former Sunderland academy participant Jak Alnwick stored his outdated membership at bay earlier than Mark McGuinness headed house a late winner to grab a 1-0 victory for enhancing Cardiff.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper, who left the Black Cats to affix Newcastle in 2008, made a string of tremendous saves to frustrate Tony Mowbray’s males.
And with three minutes remaining centre-back McGuinness headed in the one objective of the sport to make it 4 wins from 5 for the Bluebirds.
That was sufficient to convey an finish to Sunderland’s five-match unbeaten and so they stay fifth within the Sky Guess Championship standings.
Cardiff, who transfer as much as seventh, had a few earlier half-chances however this was a fixture once they had been grateful to Hexham-born Alnwick for retaining them in it.
Mowbray named an unchanged staff in a bid to proceed the wonderful run of kind however Cardiff, beneath former Fenerbahce boss Erol Bulut, have loved latest positivity too after a sluggish begin to the season.
Cardiff had been set as much as frustrate, with the house aspect fast to get pleasure from loads of possession within the opposition’s half.
However probabilities had been few and much between early on on the Stadium of Mild, the place Friday’s England Girls’s Nations League win over Scotland pushed again this fixture by 24 hours.
After Karlan Grant had fired over from distance for Cardiff, Sunderland began to get extra pleasure on the different finish and may have taken the lead 22 minutes in.
Picture:
Cardiff Metropolis’s Mark McGuinness (proper) celebrates scoring the winner on the Stadium of Mild
Simply minutes after Jobe Bellingham had headed into the arms of Alnwick, the goalkeeper regarded crushed when Alex Pritchard side-footed in direction of the underside nook.
However Cardiff defender Dimitrios Goutas’ contact was sufficient to take the trouble inches extensive of the upright after some intelligent play from Abdoullah Ba and Bellingham down the left created the chance.
Despite the fact that Sunderland had to concentrate on Cardiff’s counter-attacks, Jack Clarke was subsequent to go shut when he skipped previous two males and compelled Alnwick right into a low cease earlier than half-time.
The stream of the sport continued that approach after the restart. Alnwick was once more readily available low to his proper to cease Pritchard’s drive from the sting of the world after a beautiful transfer additionally involving Mason Burstow and Clarke.
Whereas goalless the door was all the time open for Cardiff and Ike Ugbo turned and shot over after the guests created a promising opening when Burstow was dispossessed on midway moments after he was cautioned.
Sunderland stored urgent and Clarke’s glorious run and go was adopted by Alnwick saving from Patrick Roberts’ first-time effort, whereas fellow substitute Adil Aouchiche’s rebound was blocked by a defender.
Cardiff’s Kion Etete pressured Anthony Patterson right into a cease after a mazy run by means of the Sunderland backline with 10 minutes remaining as the sport immediately opened up.
And the best away efficiency was full when McGuinness arrived on the again put up to nod Ryan Wintle’s nook inside the underside nook late on.