Sunderland 2-1 Southampton : penalty brace from Gomez gives Cats crucial win

Jordi Gomez twice held his nerve from the penalty spot as Sunderland grind out a crucial 2-1 win over ten man Southampton in their fight for survival.

The Wearsiders hit the front 20 minutes in with their first penalty of the afternoon. Danny Graham chased a second ball in the box and got there before Maya Yoshida who kicked the striker in the face as he leaned down to head, Gomez then stroked the ball home into the bottom right corner.

Within just a minute though the Saints were level through Saido Mane. Jose Fonte played a standard long ball in from the right which Costel Pantilimon, John O'Shea and Sebastian Coates all converged on only for the keeper to wipe out O'Shea and leave Mane with an empty net to put the ball in.

Sunderland regained their lead just 10 minutes into the second half though through another Gomez spot kick. Lee Cattermole played the ball in behind Yoshida for Graham who cut inside from the right and squared to Jermain Defoe who got in front of the defence and was about to shoot before being bundled over from James Ward-Prowse who saw red for the foul. Gomez then found the bottom corner again from 12 yards this time on the left side.

Most of the first half action came after the first two goals as Sunderland looked to get back in front quickly, which Connor Wickham nearly did twice. First he blazed just over from 15 yards after great work from Patrick Van Aanholt down the left to pick him out. Then on the stroke of half time he combined with Defoe to strike across goal from the right where the ball deflected off Defoe and nearly in if not for Kelvin Davis's on the floor reactions.

Southampton did well to stay in the game after losing a man but struggled to create chances and only got real opportunity for an equalizer which came right at the death. Santiago Vergini got pinned in his own corner and gave the ball straight to Graziano Pelle who delivered an early low cross which found Steven Davis who hit first time right footed from 12 yards but Pantilimon was on hand to beat the ball away two handed to his left side.

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