Sunderland’s rollercoaster ride of a Championship season reached new highs this mid-week, with the Black Cats now three points clear at the top of the league after a determined win away at Luton Town.
It wasn’t a vintage performance from Regis Le Bris’ men by any stretch of the imagination – with the Hatters registering 19 shots to the away side’s lesser nine – but the Wearside outfit managed to dig deep in the end to clinch another three points in a dogged 2-1 victory.
Of course, there was some magic in the attacking areas for the away masses to hang onto at Kenilworth Road, as Romaine Mundle and Chris Rigg dazzled down the wings for the league leaders all night long.
Rigg & Mundle's performances vs Luton
With Wilson Isidor having a quiet time of things versus the Hatters as the lone striker, it was time for both Mundle and Rigg to come to the fore for their side to ensure another three points was forthcoming, and they very much delivered.
Rigg would open the scoring with a calm finish under pressure, with the 17-year-old only registering one shot all game but coming up trumps when it mattered, alongside his equally clinical teammate scoring this sublime winner past a helpless Thomas Kaminski to seal the hard-fought win.
Demonstrating their no-nonsense approach defensively with a fierce Trai Hume tackle kickstarting the move, Le Bris’ men also showed off their quality in attack with the finish, after Mundle left various Luton shirts in the dust before hammering home the goal.
Now sharing seven goals between them in the Championship this season, both on-fire forwards will be crucial as matches come thick and fast, with Sunderland aspiring to stay at the top of the second-tier pile for as long as possible.
Away from both the teenage starlet and the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster picking up those all-important strikes, it was also very much a night for the defenders to shine, as Chris Mepham in particular stood firm to whatever Luton threw at him in an imperious showing.
Mepham's performance in numbers
To win promotion out of the unforgiving league that the Championship can be, Sunderland know that the entertaining attacking performances have to meet in the middle with some resolute displays at the back, with the decision to pick up the Welshman on loan from AFC Bournemouth helping them to enhance that staunchness in their game.
Starring alongside another experienced EFL head in Luke O’Nien in the centre-back spots, Sunderland could well have the makeup of a back four that knows how to shut up shop when needed, with the new Black Cats number 26 almost faultless at points at Kenilworth Road in thwarting the likes of Carlton Morris and Co.
Stat
Mepham
Minutes played
90
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
57
Accurate passes
32/41 (78%)
Clearances
11
Blocked shots
1
Interceptions
1
Total tackles
2
Total duels won
10/12
Mepham definitely wasn’t the flashiest performer on the ball, but he more than made up for an odd wayward pass here or there with a combative display that shut out the Hatters over and over again in the second 45 minutes, winning ten of the duels that fell his way.
Moreover, the Welshman would clear the ball away from danger 11 times in total as the clock nervously ticked down, with his partner in the heart of defence in O’Nien also tremendous in that respect with six of his own clearances managed.
His manager would wax lyrical after the 2-1 win about his side’s battling spirit, with Le Bris ensuring that Mepham is picked week in week out if he keeps up these stellar displays, knowing he has a promotion up to the Premier League on his CV with the Cherries.
Winning himself an 8/10 match rating after the contest by Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith, who labelled his presence as key as Luton ‘bombarded’ the Black Cats, the ingredients look to be there in Le Bris’ XI to give promotion a real go.
Three points clear now at the top of the league, confidence will be sky high at the Stadium of Light, as another league win is eyed up when Oxford United come to Wearside on Saturday.
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