Goals
1-0: Gomez (22 – sent his spot-kick into the bottom right hand corner)
1-1: Downing (29 – carried the ball, cut inside and hit a deflected shot past Pantilimon)
Bookings: Reid (40, foul), Gomez (57, foul), Downing (81, foul), Wickham (82, foul)
Referee: Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent): Got a number of decisions wrong and missed a blatant handball from Winston Reid. 3
Attendance: 41,694
Rating: **
SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1):
7 Pantilimon: Made two great saves to deny Jenkinson in the first half and Cresswell in the second;
6 Vergini: Seemed to tire a lot in the second half, but did okay overall
7 O’Shea: It could have been a tough afternoon, but the Republic of Ireland defender coped well with Andy Carroll
7 Brown: Steady display and dealt with the in-form Sakho reasonably well
5 Reveillere: Made a couple of mistakes that could have cost his side and looked exposed on the left throughout;
8 Cattermole: Came into the game more in the second half and made some crucial interceptions
6 Johnson: Lively in the first half, but faded in the second before he was eventually subbed
8 LARSSON: Continues to enjoy a new lease of life under Poyet and turned in another solid performance
7 Gomez: Provided some dangerous balls into the box, but Sunderland didn’t always make the most of them
6 Wickham: Drifted in and out of the game, but saw a great chance saved by Adrian late on
4 Altidore: Failed to put himself about, looked off the pace and produced one of the misses of the season just before half time
Subs
Fletcher (for Altidore, 63): Linked up well with Wickham and offered more of a threat than Altidore. 6
Alvarez (for Johnson, 71)
Not used: Mannone, Coates, Bridcutt, Rodwell, Buckley.
WEST HAM UNITED (4-1-3-2): Adrian 7; Jenkinson 7, Reid 6, Tomkins 6, Cresswell 7; Song 6; Nolan 6 (Valencia, 81), DOWNING 8, Kouyate 6; Sakho 7, Carroll 7.
Not used: Jaaskelainen, O’Brien, Collins, Amalfitano, Zarate, Cole.
Man of the Match
Stewart Downing – A constant thorn in Sunderland’s side as his impressive form continues in his new role.
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