How did the players fare in Sunderland's play-off semi-final first leg win over Portsmouth?
SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1):
6 McLaughlin: Had a surprisingly quiet evening and still wasn’t really tested after Sunderland went down to ten men
7 O’Nien: Made some crucial late blocks and interceptions, with the pick seeing him block Bogle’s strike from inside the six-yard box
7 Ozturk: Was extremely unfortunate to see red and should have a good chance of getting the decision overturned
8 Flanagan: Produced his best performance for a number of months when it mattered most – dominated Hawkins all night
7 Oviedo: Did well defensively against the dangerous Lowe and got forward to deliver some dangerous balls into the box
7 Cattermole: Set the tone for Sunderland’s display with his tracking and harrying – remains a hugely important part of the team
6 Power: Swung in some dangerous balls from the right, but wasn’t able to make himself a factor in the Portsmouth box
6 Gooch: Was promoted to the starting side at the last minute when McGeady dropped out and put in a decent attacking shift
5 Honeyman: His effort and application could not be faulted, but he continues to look out of place in the creative ‘number ten’ role
5 Morgan: Made some decent runs, but all too often, his delivery let him down – made way for Maguire at the start of the second half
7 Wyke: Tied up both of Portsmouth’s centre-halves as a lone striker, and was always an outlet when his team-mates looked forward
Subs:
8 MAGUIRE (for Morgan, 57): Hammered home a superb match winner and almost added a second with a raking drive that hit the base of the post
7 Dunne (for Gooch, 69): The flick that deflected Evans’ free-kick onto the bar might have been a slight one – but it could not have been any more important
(not used): Ruiter (gk), Hume, Matthews, Leadbitter, Grigg.
PORTSMOUTH (4-2-3-1):
MacGillivray 7; Thompson 6, Burgess 6, Clarke 6, Walkes 6; Naylor 5, Close 6; Lowe 5, EVANS 7, Curtis 6 (Bogle 69, 6); Hawkins 5 (Solomon-Otabor 69, 6).
Subs (not used): Bass (gk), Cannon, Morris, May, Dennis.
Man Of The Match: CHRIS MAGUIRE – The substitute changed the game after coming on before the hour mark, and deserves a place in the starting line-up on Thursday night.
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