IT was a night to remember at Accrington Stanley for a couple of players at opposite ends of their careers as they helped Sunderland forget about their Checkatrade Trophy penalty heartache by getting the promotion charge back on track.

Experienced birthday boy Aiden McGeady carried on from where he left off at Wembley on Sunday with a stunning opener before 20-year-old Kazaiah Sterling – after a second delivered by Will Grigg - celebrated his first goal in senior football at the Wham Stadium to complete a deserved win.

Despite a testing playing surface – which was slammed by Fleetwood Town boss Joey Barton and described as “awful” last weekend – and a few selection gambles, the Black Cats showed no ill-effects from losing on Sunday to leave Accrington with maximum points.

Sunderland dictated proceedings for the majority of the night to comfortably win the first of their three games in hand on the top two, reducing the gap to second-placed Barnsley to three points.

Jack Ross’ players have been keen to stress regularly how promotion is very much in their own hands and this was a performance, particularly first half, that suggested they have the mentality and quality to see that through after overcoming the weekend disappointment.

And it took McGeady, who celebrates his 33rd birthday on Thursday, a little more than three minutes to deliver the breakthrough with a top quality finish that deserved a greater stage to witness his 14th of the campaign.

The second arrived moments before McGeady’s half-time withdrawal when Grigg made the most of some defensive hesitancy in the Accrington ranks to extend the lead with his fourth since arriving from Wigan in January.

And with 11 minutes remaining Sterling, on loan from Tottenham who returned home to their new world-class stadium last night, slotted in the lovely third to cap a strong night for Ross’ men.

Despite improvements from the home side in the second half, there was no stopping Sunderland from finishing off the job, unlike in December when this rearranged fixture had to be abandoned with 20 minutes remaining when monsoon rain made things unplayable.

The pitch and Sunday was on Ross’ mind when he named his team and he was always likely to change things after the epic Trophy final defeat to Portsmouth on penalties. Lee Cattermole, the unfortunate man to miss the crucial spot-kick that afternoon, was one of five players left out at Stanley and he was not even on the bench.

Ross’ decision to freshen things up meant a complete change to the midfield, with Grant Leadbitter only making the bench, and that made Dylan McGeouch and Max Power partnering each other for the first time since January. It was a ploy that worked well to drive Sunderland on to victory.

In attack Charlie Wyke’s reward for creating a goal in each of his last appearances from the bench – including at Wembley – was to be given a role alongside Grigg in attack, and it meant the former Bradford man coming up against Dimitar Evtimov again.

Back in September the Bulgarian goalkeeper wished the striker a speedy recovery when he was ruled out for months courtesy of a collision during Sunderland’s defeat at Burton, where Evtimov had just moved from Nottingham Forest.

Now Evtimov, only signed on a free in January, is at Accrington and searching for the performances to keep them in League One, with Sunderland and Wyke pushing at the opposite end of the table and aware of the challenge they faced at the Wham Stadium.

But the home team’s goalkeeper, with the Accrington drum beating loudly behind him in the terracing, was soon beaten himself and it was the man Wyke teed up at Wembley for a late extra-time equaliser that did it again.

Ahead of celebrating his 33rd birthday on Thursday, McGeady struck the sweetest of presents. After receiving a pass from Tom Flanagan out wide, the Ireland international cut inside and didn’t take a second invitation to hammer a stunning drive inside Evtimov’s right-hand post from 22 yards.

Before Accrington enjoyed a decent spell of pressure midway through the opening period, Sunderland could easily have been further ahead but some good defending and goalkeeping prevented a second.

Accrington defender Mark Hughes’ quick thinking got him back to the line to clear an effort from Grigg that looked like dropping in after lifting a finish over Evtimov, who was then on hand to make a strong save to his right to deny Power.

There was then a header the goalkeeper held from Grigg and another drive from McGeady that flew wide, as Sunderland showed why there has been such contrasting fortunes for the two clubs in the third tier this season.

Accrington showed decent flashes but overall it was a performance reflective of one that had only won two of their games since the turn of the year, form which had seen them drop to within sight of the bottom four.

The nearest John Coleman’s side was to scoring in the first half was when Sean McConville curled a free-kick high over the bar after Luke O’Nien was cautioned for a blatant shove on Paul Smyth when he looked in on goal.

There was also a well-fashioned opening that was made for Billy Kee, when Hughes knocked down into the path of the striker but his first time volley went even higher above Jon McLaughlin’s woodwork and Sunderland’s lead was preserved.

Sunderland continued to make the better chances. Gooch lifted an effort over Evtimov which shaved the far post after McGeouch’s brilliant turn on the half way and ball in behind the defence that set the American away.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, Accrington’s static defence hadn’t learned from that. McLaughlin’s long clearance up field dropped in behind the towering, flat-footed, backline and Grigg controlled before firing low and beyond Evtimov.

Given McGeady played all of Sunday’s Trophy final, he was replaced at half-time and that lifted Accrington, who introduced Newcastle loan man Dan Barlaser. Almost immediately Jack Baldwin had to make a sensational block to prevent McConville’s low drive from hitting the target.

Accrington – who went close when substitute Erico Sousa got in behind Denver Hume and missed the target - did plug away in the hope of a fightback to boost their survival chances, but that also led to more space for Sunderland to exploit at the other end.

Wyke, who impressed with his link up play, wasted a few chances in good positions, although he did hold things up well generally and finished the game alongside Kazaiah Sterling in attack.

And moments after another chance had gone begging, Sterling wrapped things up with a lovely finish. Lewis Morgan did the bulk of the work, before rolling sideways into the path of the young striker who confidently added the third to send the travelling fans home happy.