David Moyes’ first game in the Sunderland dugout ended with a winning start, Duncan Watmore hailed the hero as the Black Cats beat Swiss third division side FC Stade Nyonnais 2-0 at Stade Camille-Fournier, keeping up their 100% record in pre-season.
It was the perfect setting as the Moyes boys got off to the perfect start under his management, as the former Everton boss named a relativity youthful side with only Vito Mannone, Billy Jones, Lee Cattermole and Jack Rodwell who are regulars in the first team squad starting.
Taking the lead from the spot
Duncan Watmore’s two very successful penalties in the closing stages of the first half were enough for victory watched by around 500 travelling Sunderland fans. Moyes has now full control with less than three weeks to prepare his team for the Premier League kick-off.
Mannone was called into action in minutes and made a smart move to save a Karim Chentouf long range effort which he turned over the bar. Sunderland retaliated with the combination of Greenwood and Gooch set up the chance for Watmore, six yards out but could only manage to direct the ball over the bar on the volley.
Watmore should have given Sunderland the lead 10 minutes before the break when he had a clean through on goal but just as he was about to apply the finish he was denied by last ditch defending.
The England under-21 international won the penalty after a sprit run into the penalty area then being sent sprawling by skipper Oliver Maric who’s slide tackle trips Watmore in the box, he grabbed the ball and convertd the penalty beating Osni Mutumbo and finding the right side of the net, which gaves the lads the lead from the spot.
In the first-half injury-time, Watmore scored his second goal of the night.
This time it was Honeyman that was tripped just inside the box, and earned Sunderland their second penalty. Watmore stepped up to convert once more and doubles the lead on the stoke of half time this time sent the keeper the wrong way and found the bottom left hand corner.
Disrupted second half
Nyonnais in the second half started to create better chances, with Valentine’s low cross in from the right-hand side found Chentouf at the near post but hit the ball into the side netting and substitute Besnik Salihaj forced Mannone to tip his efforts over the bar. But Sunderland hung on to keep their second clean sheet in three games.
The first half was decent enough for the third win of their pre-season friendlies, however, the second half didn’t really live up to the expectation and standard the first half as it was disrupted by multiple substitutions from both sides slowed the flow of the game and impacted on the consistency and rhythm.