Goals:

0-1: Pinnock (47, allowed by Matthews to coast in at the back post to nod in Fryers’ corner)

Bookings: Potts (12, foul); Lindsay (50, foul); Love (61, foul); Davies (67, foul); Bradshaw (80, foul)

Sending-off: None

Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside) – nothing to over-complicate a straight forward afternoon for the official. 7

Attendance: 28,311

Entertainment: **

Sund Barns

Shots on 2 3

Shots off 8 12

Corners 4 7

Fouls 10 12

Offsides 2 3

SUNDERLAND (3-4-2-1):

6 Ruiter: Made an important save in the first half and did what was expected of him when he needed to;

6 Browning: Solid enough without hitting the standards he has in previous games

6 O’Shea: Did his job well enough at the back but frustrated with the defending for the goal

4 Matthews: Asked to play out of position in the first half and had done enough until allowing Pinnock to head in the opener;

4 Love: Got forward and found width plenty but wasted decent positions with poor deliveries

6 Honeyman: Ran around plenty without really affecting things in the middle

7 GIBSON: Enjoyed a fine opening half hour because his passing was on point and says it all that he was still the best player on the pitch

5 Oviedo: Had a couple of efforts on goal, including a free-kick that hit the post, before his half-time withdrawal;

6 McManaman: One of his better halves in a Sunderland shirt and tried to make things happen before withdrawal

6 McGeady: Had a similar sort of impact to McManaman, plenty of probing but faded;

6 Vaughan: Isolated far too much but couldn’t be accused of not working hard enough.

Subs:

McNair (for Gibson 34): Unable to have the sort of impact Gibson did. 5

Maja (for Oviedo 46): One late header dropped over the bar. 5

Asoro (for McManaman 61): A couple of runs but not the impact required. 5

(not used): Steele (gk), Jones, Embleton, Beadling.

BARNSLEY (4-3-3): Davies 7; Cavare 7, Pinnock 7, Lindsay 6, Fryers 6; Gardner 5 (Moncur 73), Williams 6, Potts 7; ISGROVE 8, Thiam 6 (Bradshaw 73), Hammill 7 (McCarthy 90). Subs (not used): Townsend, Ugbo, Mallan, McGeehan.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Lloyd Isgrove – regularly made things happen for the Tykes on another afternoon Wearside will want to forget.