Match Report: Posh 3-0 Sunderland

Posh produced their most complete display of the season dispatching League One title favourites Sunderland 3-0 at The Weston Homes Stadium to claim their first home win of the season and fire a warning shot to the rest of the league. Following a slow start Posh have been steadily improving and this performance made it three wins and three clean sheets in a row.

Sunderland themselves came into the match unbeaten in both league and cup and indeed they started the brightest dominating the opening 5 mins and looking dangerous through a combination of accurate direct passes and good width pulling the Posh midfield from side to side.

Posh slowly worked their way into the match and it was Mo Eisa who delivered the games first shot on target, his long range effort forcing a strong diving save from McLoughlin.

For much of the first half there was nothing between the two sides. The game ebbed and flowed with both teams having spells of play whereby they looked dangerous without ever truly threatening the opposition keeper. Both sides played with great energy in and out of possession with Knight and Boyd being particularly energetic on either side of the Posh midfield.

It took a moment of magic to break the deadlock which was again delivered by the mercurial Marcus Maddison in the 36^th minute. Posh won the ball high up the pitch and as they looked to play quickly forward Mo Eisa was bundled over almost 30 yards from the Sunderland goal. Maddison stepped up and sent the ball swerving and dipping into the corner of the Sunderland net, with a helpless McLoughlin rooted to the spot.

McNulty had Sunderland's best chance of the first half. Running with the ball on the Sunderland left he jinked past a lunging Niall Mason before firing Sunderland's only shot on target of the match straight at Pym from 8 yards.

Sunderland again started the second half the better sending numerous crosses and corners into the box and looking the more likely to score with Mark Beevers making one crucial sliding block as Sunderland looked set to score.

The turning point in the match came in the 52^nd minute. Another Sunderland cross was cleared by Posh who broke with terrific speed and accuracy, working the ball to Josh Knight on the right hand side of the area who calmly stroked the ball home into the opposite corner of the net.

Sunderland were initially unperturbed by the set back and continued to push for a way back into the match. The opening 17 minutes of the second half settling into a clear pattern with Sunderland dominating possession but Posh looking dangerous and potent on the break.

That passage came to an end in the 62^nd minute. Maddison both started and finished another fine posh move for the third goal. Maddison picked the ball up on the right and raced forward, before sending an accurate pass to Boyd who was lurking dangerously on the left of the box. Maddison then raced into the box to tuck away a Boyd's deflected cross at the near post.

From there the game descended into farce. Sunderland were clearly frustrated and any hopes were dashed when right back O’Nien was needlessly sent off following a tussle with Ivan Toney in the 72^nd minute. It got even worse for Sunderland in the 77^th minute when a reckless and unnecessary challenge from Wyke on Butler earned him a second yellow and an early bath.

With Sunderland down to 9 men Posh dominated and looked for a fourth goal which never came. Posh have ended August in fine form and will go into a favourable looking run of September fixtures hoping to push even higher up the table having moved into 7^th place. With the only downside being they will now have to wait 14 days before their next league game.

For Sunderland it was a harrowing day which ended their promising unbeaten start and was only the second time they have failed to score in league since their relegation to League One in 2018.