Sky Bet League 1
Sunderland 1-0 AFC Wimbledon
McGeady 67
Sunderland edged AFC Wimbledon in a scrappy encounter at the Stadium of Light today with a 1-0 victory.
Aiden McGeady scored the only goal of the game for the Black Cats.
Ahead of the game, Sunderland sat in fifth place in League 1 while AFC Wimbledon were at the foot of the table.
It was a lively start to proceedings, and Sunderland came close five minutes in when George Honeyman turned and fired just wide from the edge of the box.
Two minutes later, Wimbledon could’ve had the lead when Anthony Wordsworth found Jon McLaughlin off his line, but his extremely long range effort was just kept out by the retreating keeper.
Debutant Lewis Morgan came close for the hosts in the ninth minute when his shot on the edge of the box went just wide.
The visitors may have felt hard done by 15 minutes later when their free kick was poorly defended and the ball bounced off Will Nightingale before going wide.
Chances were few and far between after that until in the 67th minute Sunderland took the lead when McGeady cut in on the left after a great long ball by Adam Matthews, and hit it in the top-right corner beating the keeper.
It was a tense final ten minutes to the game, and Wimbledon came closest in the 84th minute when Scott Wagstaff cut into the box from the left and his weak effort was pushed to the left by McLaughlin.
Five minutes later, McGeady nearly put the game to bed for Sunderland when he cut in from the right but his shot was well saved to the left.
At the death, the visitors’ final chance came when Terell Thomas shot into the side netting.
The result means Jack Ross’ side move up to fourth in the League 1 table.
Sunderland: McLaughlin, Matthews, Dunne, Flanagan, James, Power, Leadbitter, Morgan (Watmore 83), Honeyman (O’Nien 65), McGeady, Wyke (Sterling 59).
Booked: Leadbitter
Subs not used: Maguire, McGeouch, Ruiter (GK), Baldwin.
AFC Wimbledon: Ramsdale, Watson (Sibbick 69), Thomas, Oshilaja, Seddon, Nightingale, Wordsworth, Connolly (Jervis 67), Wagstaff, Pinnock (Pigott 75), Appiah.
Booked: Oshilaja, Seddon, Wordsworth.
Subs not used: Hartigan, McDonnell, McDonald, McLoughlin.
Attendance: 30,424
James Main 