- English Barclays Premier League
- 11 December 2012, 7:45pm
- Stadium of Light
- Attendance: 37,723
Sunderland | v | Reading |
3
| 0 |
live commentary
95 mins:FULL-TIME: SUNDERLAND 3-0 READING
94 mins:GOAL. Sunderland 3-0 Reading, Stéphane Sessegnon chases onto a long ball and rounds Adam Federici to tap the ball into the empty net
93 mins:Sunderland look to run down the clock and relieve some of the pressure off Martin O'Neill
90 mins:There will be five added minutes played
88 mins:A great stop from Simon Mignolet as Noel Hunt has met a corner on the six yard box with a powerful header.
87 mins:Reading are still trying to push forward but Sunderland are dealing with them comfortably
85 mins: Nicky Shorey whips a cross in from the left that Adam Le Fondre flicks towards goal but it isn't close enough to trouble Simon Mignolet
83 mins:Sunderland continue to look strong and well-organised at the back while they are looking increasinly dangerous on the counter as Reading throw numbers forward
82 mins:Sunderland are taking advantage of any space left by Reading. Stéphane Sessegnon sets up Craig Gardner but his shot is straight at Adam Federici
77 mins: Stéphane Sessegnon bursts from midfield and finds James McClean in space. His low shot towards the far corner is well saved by Adam Federici
74 mins: Phillip Bardsley replaced by Titus Bramble
73 mins: Phillip Bardsley is down needing treatment
72 mins: Steven Fletcher shown a yellow card
71 mins: Garath McCleary replaced by Dominic Samuel
70 mins:Reading call for a penalty as Jobi McAnuff goes down under pressure from Phillip Bardsley but the referee gives nothing
68 mins: Danny Rose replaced by David Vaughan
67 mins:A long ball is flicked on by Steven Fletcher and Stéphane Sessegnon hits it early, forcing Adam Federici into a diving save
64 mins: Steven Fletcher goes on a great run through the centre before going down, but the referee waves away calls for a penalty
62 mins: Danny Rose does well down the left and Reading thankful to Adrian Mariappa as he clears a cut-back aimed towards Stéphane Sessegnon rushing into the box
60 mins:Reading have enjoyed a lot of the ball in midfield but have struggled to really create much in the final third, owing a lot to the well-organised home defence
57 mins: James McClean down injured and requires treatment after chasing Garath McCleary
56 mins: Alex Pearce puts a header way off target
54 mins: Nicky Shorey hits a free kick on target that Simon Mignolet saves diving to his left
53 mins:A yellow card shown to Danny Rose
52 mins: James McClean crosses it in and Steven Fletcher mis-times his jump so cannot get proper contact on it
50 mins:Sunderland look to have started the second half in the same fashion they played the first 45 minutes
48 mins: Noel Hunt runs into the box down the right and scoops a shot high over the bar from the angle
46 mins: Adam Johnson has been replaced by Phillip Bardsley at half time
45 mins:Reading get the second half underway at the Stadium of Light
48 mins:HALF-TIME: SUNDERLAND 2-0 READING
47 mins:Sunderland do well to deal with a Reading corner and clear the danger
45 mins:There will be three added minutes played
44 mins:Reading are probably lucky not to be going in three-nil down as replays show just what a good chance that was for Steven Fletcher
43 mins:An Adam Johnson corner it met Steven Fletcher but he cannot get it on target from close range
42 mins:Reading's previous joy down their left seems to have been eradicated by Sunderland as they continue to look well-organised
39 mins:Rose is back on but still looks in some discomfort
38 mins: Danny Rose is down injured and requires treatment
37 mins:The corner is grabbed by Adam Federici
36 mins:Sunderland are getting good numbers forward, James McClean opts to shoot and it deflects away for a corner
32 mins: Jay Tabb in space but fires over the bar from outside the area
31 mins:Confidence is now flowing for Sunderland as they pen the hosts in their own half
28 mins:GOAL. Sunderland 2-0 Reading, a great goal from Steven Fletcher. Danny Rose put a low cross into the area that the striker flicked in with his heel
27 mins:For all the possession Reading are having, the home defence are looking well-organised so are keeping the Royals at bay
25 mins:A few groans coming out of the Sunderland fans as Reading have started taking a hold on the game
22 mins: Stéphane Sessegnon turns his man on the edge of the area and his shot flashes wide of the Fulham goal
19 mins:Reading have recovered from going an early goal behind and are looking a threat going forward, in particuly down their left
16 mins:Good attacking play by Reading but Garath McCleary just fails to find Noel Hunt after some great play down the left flank
14 mins:Sunderland have a dangerous free kick that Adam Johnson hits too long and it sails over everyone and out for a goal kick
13 mins:Yellow card shown to Adrian Mariappa
12 mins:The game has now settled down after a frantic opening. Sunderland fans will be delighted by their team's start
9 mins: Nicky Shorey hits a free kick into the area and Alex Pearce connects with it, but the ball goes wide of the target
7 mins:Another Sunderland attack ends with Adam Johnson shooting narrowly wide of the post. What a start from the home side
5 mins: Sebastian Larsson hits a shot on the run and Adam Federici palms it behind for a corner
3 mins:GOAL. Sunderland 1-0 Reading, what a start with a goal from James McClean. A corner came in and Adam Federici could only punch as far as McClean, who scored with a smart turn-and-shot inside the area.
2 mins:A strong start for Sunderland as they win an early corner.
Sunderland get the game underway
3 mins:Reading: Federici, Shorey, Pearce, Mariappa, Leigertwood, Le Fondre, Hunt, McAnuff, McCleary, Tabb, Cummings.
2 mins:Sunderland: Mignolet, Rose, Larsson, Gardner, Colback, O'Shea, Johnson, McClean, Cuellar, Fletcher, Sessegnon.
1 mins:Welcome to the text coverage of the Premier League clash between Sunderland and Reading from the Stadium of Light.
- English Barclays Premier League
- 11 December 2012, 7:45pm
- Stadium of Light
- Attendance: 37,723
| Sunderland | v | Reading |
3
| 0 |
match report
Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher fired his side to a much-needed 3-0 victory over fellow Premier League strugglers Reading at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night.
The Scotland international, back in the side after missing the Chelsea defeat with an ankle problem, grabbed his seventh of the season with an audacious flick in the 28th minute after James McClean had drilled the home side into an early lead.
Stephane Sessegnon made the game safe in added time to secure a welcome triumph for manager Martin O'Neill on the one-year anniversary of his first game in charge as the Black Cats climbed out of the Premier League drop zone on a chilly evening on Wearside.
But the defeat was a fifth in succession for the Royals, with Brian McDermott's men remaining six points away from a position of safety to increase the pressure on their boss on his debut season in the Premier League.
There was an explosive start to the contest as McClean fired home from the edge of the box with only three minutes on the clock after Adam Federici's weak punch following Adam Johnson's corner.
Nicky Shorey shot over top as the Royals sought an instant response, while Alex Pearce clipped a free-kick from the full-back narrowly wide of the post with Simon Mignolet rooted to his line.
But the Black Cats could have been further ahead as Sebastian Larsson burst through after a neat one-two with Fletcher and drew a fine save from Federici following his powerful drive from just outside the area, and then Johnson rippled the side-netting with another low effort.
Sessegnon was the next to threaten for the Wearsiders, taking Jack Colback's pass in his stride before executing a superb turn away from the defender to create space only to lash his shot wide of Federici's goal.
But it was 2-0 just before the half-hour mark after a touch of class from Fletcher as the £12million summer signing received Danny Rose's low cross with his back to goal and beautifully back-heeled it beyond Federici.
Both Rose and Johnson required treatment before the interval after ankle and leg injuries, respectively, with the winger unable to continue after half-time and the on-loan Tottenham full-back departing to chants of 'sign him up' in the 69th minute.
Mignolet was under-employed for huge chunks of the contest but had to be alert to palm away a dangerous free-kick from Shorey from the corner of the area, while the Black Cats suffered yet another injury blow when half-time substitute Bardsley limped off with 15 minutes to go.
McClean had a glorious chance to make it 3-0 after being released by Sessegnon only to see Federici make a fine save, while Noel Hunt's header from Shorey's corner in the closing stages was again repelled by Mignolet, before Sessegnon burst clear in injury time to round the keeper and roll home.
advertisement
