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Sunderland moved to within a
point of Championship leaders Derby County after stretching their unbeaten
run to 15 matches with a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Striker Stern John welcomed back
Trinidad and Tobago teammate Carlos Edwards back into the starting team but
Dwight Yorke was still out with an ankle problem.
The Black Cats, after storming into a two-goal lead through Daryl Murphy and
Ross Wallace, were made to fight all the way after Wolves reduced the
deficit through Andy Keogh to set up a grandstand finish.
Edwards took no time in proving he had recovered from the shoulder
injury,according to Sunderland-mad.co.uk that had kept him out for a month
by constantly taunting the Wolves defence with pace and clever ball control.
John in action for T&T.
But it was from the other flank that the Black Cats surged ahead after 15
minutes.
Wallace cut inside to find Murphy who flicked the ball over his shoulder to
outwit Neil Collins before driving a shot across Matt Murray.
John should have increased the lead in the 22nd minute only to shoot
straight at Murray and from the rebound Danny Simpson was at full stretch
when failing to hit the target.
 Darren
Ward saved well from Michael McIndoe in a rare Wolves attack, while at the
other end Murray kept out 25-yard drives from Wallace and Edwards.
(in photo, training last
week. courtesy sunderland-mad.co.uk)
The woodwork came to the rescue of the visitors on the stroke of half-time.
Whitehead worked his way to the byline and from his centre, John's back-heel
flick struck the inside of the post and a grateful Murray pounced on the
loose ball inches from the line.
Sunderland increased the tempo to the delight of the biggest crowd in the
Championship this season to surge further ahead in the 63rd minute as Murphy
turned provider for Wallace to head home.
Wolves took just two minutes to force their way back into it with McIndoe
crossing for Keogh to stoop and head past Ward.
Wolves lost Murray through injury after a challenge by John, but substitute
goalkeeper Jan Budtz made superb saves from substitutes Grant Leadbitter and
Stephen Elliott.
Wolves piled on the pressure but Sunderland held firm and move menacingly
into an automatic promotion place.
John knows spot isn't guaranteed
Stern John knows first-hand
that no-one is guaranteed a place in Sunderland's starting line-up.
 But
he says the competition for places in the side is the perfect distraction
from the pressures building up at other clubs in the Championship promotion
race.
January signing John has scored four goals in eight starts for Sunderland,
but his demotion to the substitutes' bench against Hull City and Cardiff
City shows just how intense the fight for a first-team start has become on
Wearside under Roy Keane (in photo watching his team train. courtesy
sunderland-mad.co.uk).
The 30-year-old striker is relaxed about the situation though, saying: "It
is as it should be," he told the Sunderland Echo.
"All successful clubs need competition for players and we certainly have
that here.
"But we also have a fantastic togetherness in the team – something I've
rarely experienced at other clubs – and that means that if you don't get in
the starting 11, you still want the players that do start, to do well.
"And, with players coming back from injury, the competition is going to get
more intense.
"But that's not a bad thing because it means everyone here is focused on
getting into the team and knowing they have to do well.
"They're not going into games confident of their place and able to relax and
then start worrying about how our rivals might be doing."
John has made a steady start to his Sunderland career since joining from
Coventry, but he believes he has much more to offer.
He said: "I was glad to get a couple of goals in my third game for the club,
because, as a striker, you are judged on your goals and the sooner you get
off the mark the better.
"But as I'm settling in more and more, I'm feeling more focused on my
football and feeling sharper.
"That's a good thing because I would like to play every game and really be
part of things.
"As long as the team is winning though and we are going the right places,
that's good enough to me. I just want to do my bit to help – whether it's
from the substitutes' bench or from the start.
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