SUNDERLAND kept up the pressure on the two sides above them in the League One table as they claimed a comfortable 2-0 win over Plymouth.

Lee Cattermole and George Honeyman were on target for the Black Cats – what were the main talking points from the game at the Stadium of Light?


GRIGG IS MORE THAN JUST A GOALSCORER

The bare statistics of Will Grigg’s first six games in a Sunderland shirt do not make for especially impressive reading. The £4m man has only scored one goal – and even that was a penalty against Gillingham.

However, the quality of his all-round play more than justifies his continued presence in the starting line-up ahead of Charlie Wyke. His movement in and around the penalty area is excellent, and despite not being especially physically imposing, his hold-up play has generally been good.

While Josh Maja boasted a fantastic goalscoring record in the first half of the season, he was often criticised for contributing very little beyond his finishing. Grigg’s all-round game is much better than that of the player he replaced.


O’NIEN CONTINUES TO CATCH THE EYE

Sunderland are hardly short of options at right-back. Adam Matthews is a Welsh international, while Tom Flanagan has also played at full-back rather than centre-half on a number of occasions.

Luke O’Nien wasn’t really regarded as a right-back prior to joining Sunderland from Wycombe, so it says much for the 24-year-old’s efforts that he is now deservedly regarded as the Black Cats’ number one choice on the right of the back four.

While he is defensively secure, his main strengths emerge when he is able to get on the front foot. His overlapping runs caused Plymouth a host of problems at the weekend, and he offers a goalscoring threat when the ball is delivered from the opposite flank.


NO BALDWIN OR McGEOUCH

With more than 20 senior options at Jack Ross’ disposal, it is inevitable that some players will find themselves missing out. However, it is still a surprise to see Jack Baldwin and Dylan McGeouch absent from the matchday 18.

Ross confirmed that neither player was injured at the weekend, so Baldwin finds himself as the fourth-choice centre-half behind Alim Ozturk. That is quite a fall for a player who was the cornerstone of the back four as recently as the start of January.

McGeouch has suffered from the January arrival of Grant Leadbitter, with Max Power’s demotion to the substitutes’ bench meaning he finds himself missing out entirely.


PLYMOUTH’S PENALTY CALL

Even the most ardent of Plymouth fans – and more than 1,500 of them made the long trip from Devon – would find it hard to argue that their side deserved to take anything from Saturday’s game.

However, things might well have been different had the visitors been awarded a penalty when Gary Sawyer’s 58th-minute shot appeared to strike Tom Flanagan on the arm. Plymouth’s players were adamant they should have had a spot-kick, but referee Graham Salisbury awarded a corner.

“Collectively, we didn’t play well enough in the first half,” admitted Plymouth boss Derek Adams. “But the second half was a lot better and we should have had a penalty for handball which, at 1-0, could have been crucial.”


DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE ON TUESDAY

The matches continue to come and thick and fast, with Sunderland returning to action on Tuesday as they head to Bristol Rovers for a Checkatrade Trophy semi-final. It will be interesting to see what team Ross selects.

On the one hand, Tuesday's game offers the tantalising carrot of a Wembley final appearance against Portsmouth. Having slogged their way through the early rounds of the competition to reach this stage, it would be criminal for Sunderland to toss away their chance of a glamour trip to Wembley by fielding a below-strength side.

However, the league programme continues to be relentless, with Saturday’s trip to Wycombe Wanderers preceding next Tuesday’s visit to second-placed Barnsley. The game at Oakwell is shaping up to be a potential promotion decider – whether he likes it or not, Ross will have to have at least half an eye on his side’s next two league away games when he picks his team in two days' time.