Wigan Athletic 2-1 Sunderland AFC
Sunderland fell to a 2-1 defeat to Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The Lads made a dominant start to proceedings and their positivity was rewarded shortly after the half-hour mark, as Charlie Wyke blasted home his 28th goal of the campaign.
Wigan struck back, though, and they levelled before the half-time whistle through Will Keane’s well-taken finish, ensuring it remained level after the first 45.
Leam Richardson’s side led before the hour mark, Callum Lang bundling the ball home after Viv Solomon-Otabor retrieved possession inside the box.
Changes followed and the Black Cats battled into the final seconds, but Wigan secured the points in Lancashire.
Lee Johnson initially made four changes from the side that faced Charlton Athletic on Saturday, with Conor McLaughlin, Denver Hume, Jack Diamond and Jordan Jones lining up.
And just moments before kick-off the Head Coach was forced into a fifth switch, as Bailey Wright, who was named in the matchday squad for the first time since February, replaced McLaughlin in the starting XI.
The sides traded blows during the opening exchanges at the DW Stadium, with Lee Burge forced into a couple of routine stops before Wright’s powerful header was blocked in the six-yard box.
Multiple penalty appeals followed as the Lads continued to turn the screw, with Josh Scowen tumbling before a high boot looked to have caught Luke O’Nien.
A well-worked free-kick was pushed behind by Jamie Jones shortly after when Jordan Jones teed up Aiden McGeady from 20-yards, with Wright flicking a header wide from the resulting corner.
The pressure finally told on 32 minutes and Wigan were breached, as Wyke volleyed home McGeady’s pinpoint cross to secure a deserved lead.
Unfortunately, the advantage lasted just ten minutes, as Keane turned in close-quarters and rifled the equaliser beyond Burge.
A fiery start to the second period yielded little in the way of clear-cut chances, but Wigan edged in front before the hour mark.
The Lads failed to clear and a hopeful knock to the back post was cushioned back across goal by Solomon-Otabor, ensuring Lang simply couldn’t miss.
A quadruple change followed as Callum McFadzean, Grant Leadbitter, Lynden Gooch and Ross Stewart entered the fray, with the towering Scot heading over the top seconds after coming on.
But despite fighting until the final seconds, there was no way back for the Black Cats who fell to a second successive defeat.
Wigan Athletic: Jones, Darikwa, Tilt, Johnston, Robinson, Ojo, Evans, Lang, Keane, Solomon-Otabor (Whelan 82), Dodoo.
Subs not used: Clough, Gardner, Proctor, Evans, Assgaard, Long.
Sunderland AFC: Burge, O’Nien, Sanderson, Wright, Hume (Leadbitter 63), Power (Stewart 64), Scowen, McGeady, Diamond (McFadzean 64), Jones (Gooch 64), Wyke.
Subs not used: Matthews, Winchester, O’Brien.