Sunderland cemented their position at the top of the Sky Bet Championship as they claimed a dominant 2-0 win over Oxford.
Having claimed back-to-back away victories over Hull and Luton in the last week, the Black Cats made it three wins in the space of six days as they continued their impressive start to the season at the Stadium of Light.
Jobe Bellingham’s 16th-minute header opened the scoring, with the midfielder also hitting the crossbar in the second half, before Wilson Isidor claimed a second Sunderland goal with a superb first-time volley.
Oxford were unable to ask any serious questions of the Sunderland defence, with Des Buckingham’s side still to claim a first away win of the season.
The Black Cats dominated throughout, indeed the only surprise about their opening goal was that it took 16 minutes to arrive.
Jamie Cumming had already produced a superb save by that stage, tipping Patrick Roberts’ goal-bound free-kick around the post, and Isidor had also gone close as he headed Trai Hume’s cross just wide of the upright.
When Hume delivered another excellent ball into the box a few moments later, however, the home side were not to be denied.
Bellingham burst between two Oxford defenders to meet Hume’s cross, and the midfielder directed a powerful header into the bottom right-hand corner to claim his second goal of the season.
With Sunderland’s slick passing play slicing open the Oxford defence seemingly at will, the chances continued to come.
Roberts’ shot was blocked after he broke across the face of the penalty area, before Cumming was called into action again to tip Chris Rigg’s strike over the crossbar after a superb piece of skill from Bellingham had sent the youngster racing towards the 18-yard box.
Simon Moore, who was making his first league start for Sunderland in place of the injured Anthony Patterson, was not tested at all in the home side’s goal before the break, but his first significant involvement came eight minutes into the second half when he claimed a driven cross from Ciaron Brown that was threatening to fly in.
That was a rare moment of threat from the visitors though, and Sunderland came within an inch or two of doubling their lead just before the hour mark as Bellingham flicked the top of the crossbar with a curled effort from the edge of the area.
A second goal felt inevitable, and it arrived in the 63rd minute courtesy of a brilliant finish from Isidor.
Dan Neil floated a pass into the box, and after watching the ball sail over his shoulder, Isidor directed a wonderful first-time volley into the far corner via the inside of the post.
The managers
Sunderland’s Regis Le Bris:
To follow…
Oxford’s Des Buckingham:
To follow…
