Thriller puts Sunderland on course for top six
By Paul Fraser
Comment
Sheffield Wednesday 2 Sunderland 4 DWIGHT YORKE'S second goal for Sunderland since turning his back on the Australian sunshine was the catalyst for the victory which keeps the Black Cats on track for the play-offs.
Yorke, the veteran striker turned defensive midfielder, showed he has lost none of his touch in front of the posts by putting Sunderland in front after 20 minutes at Sheffield Wednesday.
The 35-year-old, after some neat link up play with Liam Miller, chipped goalkeeper Mark Crossley and Roy Keane's men never looked back.
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From that moment on, with Wednesday failing to come to terms with the visitors' good football, Sunderland took complete control.
On the stroke of half-time, Tobias Hysen slid in to convert a Dean Whitehead centre from the right flank.
And top-scorer David Connolly, with his seventh for the club since an August summer move from Wigan, arrived in the box after 59 minutes to tap in Hysen's centre from the left.
Sunderland's comprehensive win means a season high of seventh place in the Championship and they sit seven points adrift of Birmingham, occupants of the final automatic promotion place.
Not even Chris Brunt's free-kick, that found its way in after goalkeeper Darren Ward failed to hold, could dampen the 6,100 travelling supporters at Hillsborough.
And, after Wade Small had pulled the Owls to within a goal three minutes from time, Sunderland regained a two-cushion lead when Carlos Edwards side-footed in from two yards out 120 seconds later.
SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Ward; Whitehead, Nosworthy, Evans, Collins; Edwards, Yorke, L Miller (Leadbitter 63), Hysen (Wallace 90); Elliott, Connolly (Murphy 74). Subs (not used): Fulop, Varga.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (4-4-2): Crossley; Folly, Bullen, Coughlan (McAllister 37), O'Brien (Clarke 30); Small, Whelan, Lunt, Brunt; MacLean (Burton 63), Tudgay. Subs (not used): Adamson, Graham.
