Player Ratings: Sunderland 1-0 Peterborough - Leadbitter penna hands all three points to the Lads!

Lee Burge: 5/10

Got away with pushing two early shots back into danger and had a bad afternoon kicking the ball.

Jordan Willis: 6/10

Improved as the match wore on, Willis had looked shook early, after being roasted one-on-one by Siriki Dembele.

Bailey Wright: 7/10

Started the game well, but like his defensive teammates had several nervous moments dealing with the movement in Peterborough’s attack. Stood up well in the dying minutes as Sunderland clung to their hard-fought lead.

Tom Flanagan: 7/10

Another who was caught out by Dembele as Sunderland were forced to weather an early storm. Like Willis, Flanagan looked much more assertive as he got up to speed with the game, and his passing and defensive awareness improved dramatically.

Luke O’Nien: 6/10

Probably had more success than any other Black Cat restricting Dembele, still needs to improve his crossing to justify playing such a specialist role in this team.

Grant Leadbitter: 8/10

Was humiliated by Dembele in that nerve-racking start Sunderland endured, but Leadbitter did a great job competing in midfield and was the team’s best passer. Impressively buried his late penalty with conviction to cap an impressive showing.

Josh Scowen: 6/10

Like O’Nien, Scowen was just too inconsistent in the final third, the odd good cross, was cancelled out by mis-kicks and overhit crosses.

Denver Hume: 8/10

Sunderland’s most consistent player. One of his best days crossing the ball in red and white, Hume has massively improved as a tackler this term too. His run to win Sunderland’s penalty highlighted everything good about his performance, he displayed excellent skill and determination to force the referee into a decision.

Chris Maguire: 5/10

Outside of one great through ball to release O’Nien, Maguire struggled to impact the game before succumbing to an injury in the first half. Maguire seemed too desperate to play the perfect pass or find the Hollywood ball, rather than keeping things simple.

Lynden Gooch: 5/10

Hardly involved in the first half, doesn’t seem suited to playing that centrally from the start. Gooch was livelier in the second half, but was still guilty of being too wasteful in possession, especially when Sunderland desperately needed an out ball in the second half.

Charlie Wyke: 4/10

Watching Charlie Wyke press is as excruciating as listening to fingernails run down a chalkboard. Wyke knows what he wants to do, and his big lumbering body just won’t let him get there in time, painful.

(SUB) Aiden O’Brien: 5/10

More of the same from O’Brien, a few nice touches, but little effort and large spells where you forget the ex-Millwall man is playing.

(SUB) Danny Graham: 6/10

Barely involved in his 20-minute cameo, Graham did manage one delightful pass to release O’Brien and relieve pressure on Sunderland late on.

(SUB) Conor McLaughlin: N/A

Brought on as a time-wasting sub in injury time.

Man of the Match

Denver Hume