This is how it played out as Sunderland fightback falls short at Swansea City

An excellent goal from Jack Clarke at the start of the second half marked the start of an excellent response to a first half in which the Black Cats had been comprehensively outplayed, but goals from Ollie Cooper and Luke Cundle proved enough for the hosts to cement their place in the top six.

Sunderland were on the back foot from the off, narrowly surviving an early set piece when Patterson clawed a corner out from his goal. Lynden Gooch made an excellent block in the immediate aftermath and the third chance of the move went begging when Cabango failed to get a good connection from a cross.

Swansea were playing through the visitors with worrying ease, though in the very early stages there were at least some signs of encouragement for the Black Cats. Danny Batth met a dangerous free kick but could only shoot straight at Benda, before an excellent move ended with Patrick Roberts turning a low cross from Aji Alese just wide of the far post.

All the same it was the hosts who looked the most incisive, finding space in Sunderland’s defensive shape every time they broke into their half. The visitors were fortunate that Cundle couldn’t do better when gathering a cross in the six-yard box, before the midfielder forced a good save from Patterson when he found space and drove a low effort from range.

It felt a matter of when rather than if and sure enough Russell Martin’s side were soon ahead. An excellent move down the left saw Grimes break into the box and cut the ball back for Cooper. Patterson would have saved, but a deflection off Luke O’Nien took it past his outstretched boot.

For twenty minutes or so after that Sunderland were chasing shadows, two of their midfielders picking up yellow cards in an indication of how off the pace the team were generally. Though they began to see more of the ball as half time approached, in what has been the theme of the week they were too often getting to the edge of the box but not getting anyone into dangerous areas.

And with one minute of stoppage time played, their already challenging afternoon took another turn for the worse. A long free kick from deep defended poorly, and turned in by Darling.

Mowbray resisted the urge to make any substitutions at the break but he did push Clarke through the middle and it was a move that paid immediate dividends. Embleton did well to win the ball in the middle of the pitch and launch a counter attack. Clarke drove towards goal and with Pritchard breaking to his left instead took the shot on, driving past Benda into the far corner.

Sunderland were a team transformed, not just because Clarke was providing a focal point but because their intensity was better all over the pitch. Though Swansea did regain some composure generally it was the visitors dominating the contest into the final quarter as they searched for an equaliser.

Swansea began to find some composure and twice Patterson had to be at his best, first to tip an effort from Fulton over the bar and then to clear a header from Piroe from the following corner.

Mowbray turned to his bench to try and find a second win, and lovely play from Amad in the box resulted in a decent stop from Benda low to his left.

Sunderland pushed for an equaliser but the visitors were able to run the clock down with relative ease and secure the win that on balance of chances they ultimately deserved.

Sunderland XI: Patterson; Gooch, O’Nien, Batth, Alese; Evans, Neil (Matete, 77), Pritchard (Amad, 77); Roberts (Bennette, 63), Embleton (Ba, 77), Clarke

Subs: Bass, Cirkin, Wright

Swansea City XI: Benda; Wood (Sorinola, 76), Cabango, Darling, Latibeaudiere, Manning, Fulton, Cundle (Ntcham, 58), Cooper (Obafemi, 58), Grimes, Piroe (Oko-Flex, 87)

Subs: Fisher, Oko-Flez, Stevens, Naughton

Bookings: Neil, 16 Evans, 23 Embleton, 53 Fulton, 53 Latibeaudiere, 90 Clarke, 90