Tigers tamed as Cats power to win
YOU could make a strong case for claiming this game was won as much on July 11 and August 31 as it was on Saturday afternoon.
For those were the days on which Sunderland signed Hull's principal summer target Fraizer Campbell and their player of the season two years running, Michael Turner.
And with those two players unavailable to either score or save goals for Hull, the Tigers were always going to be much easier to tame.
Last time these two teams met back in April, they were dead men walking in the Premier League, two teams only saved from demotion on the final day.
On the evidence of the weekend, Hull have it all to do again in their difficult second season, while Sunderland showed they have taken a step forward on the back of Steve Bruce's impressive team strengthening.
Michael Turner's performance was more routine than remarkable on Saturday, but his consistent display and his physical presence in both penalty areas bodes well, while Campbell also caught the eye.
The other new boys also played key roles, Lee Cattermole and Lorik Cana again proving themselves adept midfield destroyers – Cana a little too enthusiastically at times – while Darren Bent grabbed two goals, taking his tally to four in five league games.
But arguably the most pleasing contribution came from slim-line old boy Andy Reid, who not only scored one and had a hand in creating two others, but also proved himself capable of the sort of workrate that his new boss demands.
Sunderland didn't have it all their own way though, especially in the first-half.
Hull, with only one away win in 2009, were understandably cautious.
Boss Phil Brown played Craig Fagan on his own up front, while ex-Black Cat Paul McShane was handed the captain's armband in a bid to inspire the new signing.
And McShane certainly had his hands full in the opening stages, as Reid and Richardson asked questions of the right-back.
Sunderland forced the pace of the game from the start, but struggled to pick out Campbell and Bent's darting runs, and the first real goalmouth danger was carved out by the visitors.
Craig Gordon, who had passed a late fitness test, was forced to palm Geovanni's testing shot from range around his right-hand post in the 10th minute.
Sunderland dealt with the resulting corner, and, after a nice link-up between Cattermole and Reid, won a corner of their own, from which they were to take the lead.
Reid put the ball in from the left and, absolutely inexplicably, Fagan raised his hand above his head at the far post for as clear a handball as you'll see all season.
Referee Martin Atkinson pointed instantly to the spot.
Bent strode up confidently to drive a low effort straight into the bottom left-hand corner of Boaz Myhill's goal – the keeper guessing correctly, but having no chance against the power and placement of the shot.
Hull's response was muted, and it wasn't until the 20th minute that they threatened again, when Geovanni drove a low cross through a crowded penalty area.
Sunderland pressed but failed to cut out clear goalscoring opportunities, and Hull stayed in the game – having a great chance in the 25th minute when a ball over the top dropped into the path of Kamel Ghilas and the flag stayed down.
Sunderland were convinced Ghilas was offside, but the official's decision was correct, and, luckily for the home team, the Hull man couldn't set himself right for the shot.
However, Hull did manage to notch a surprise equaliser just before the break.
Anton Ferdinand conceded a free-kick when he clumsily brought down Fagan in the 42nd minute and Stephen Hunt's ball in brought a corner from which the goal came.
Ghilas lifted a ball in from the left and centre-half Kamil Zayatte headed powerfully home from six yards out.
Bruce's men returned after half-time with renewed vigour were back in front within five minutes.
Bent took advantage of a Steed Malbranque ball down the right to centre for Campbell, who reached the ball at the same time as Myhill and saw his shot smothered, Reid then put the loose ball back in again but Bent couldn't connect with it when challenged in the area.
It looked as though the ball would go out of play but Malbranque just kept it in on the right and pulled it back for Bardsley.
The right-back's teasing curl into the box was half-cleared at the far post but Reid fastened on to the loose ball and drove a fierce low shot into the far corner.
It was a great goal and although only 49 minutes into the match, there was a feel of 'game over' about the moment.
That proved to be the case as Hull visibly sagged and Brown began making substitutions in a bid, unsuccessfully, to breathe fresh life into failing legs.
They slipped further behind in the 66th minute after Ferdinand put a long-ball down the right-hand channel for Bent to chase.
The striker zeroed in on goal and fired a low shot through Myhill from the edge of the six-yard box.
To their credit Hull kept going, and in the minutes that followed Gordon's goal was put under real pressure, but the Wearsiders grabbed their fourth after Reid had forced Myhill to concede a corner from an in-swinging direct free-kick.
Reid put the corner in from the right and Turner rose six yards out to glance the ball on to the head of the challenging Kamil Zayatte, who bulleted the ball back across the helpless Myhill.
The final whistle brought Sunderland their fifth successive victory over Hull – 19 years now since they last lost on home soil to the Tigers – and provided more proof to Campbell and Turner, were it needed, that they both made exactly the right decision in the transfer window.
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Weather for South Shields
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
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