Sunderland's four-game unbeaten run came to an end as the Black Cats were beaten by Swansea City in South Wales. The Black Cats trailed 2-0 at the break after a woeful first half performance, with Ollie Cooper's deflected shot early in the half and a close-range Harry Darling finish in injury-time doing the damage.
But Tony Mowbray's side gave themselves a chance when Jack Clarke scored just five minutes into the second period. The Wearsiders were much-improved in the second 45 but they could not find a second goal, while at the other end Anthony Patterson made a fine save from Joel Piroe to prevent Swansea putting the game out of reach.
Defeat saw Sunderland slip three places to 11th in the Championship table. Mowbray made one change to the side that started the midweek draw against Blackpool on Wearside, with Dan Neil restored to the side in place of Amad Diallo.
READ MORE: Swansea City 1-2 Sunderland: Highlights and reaction as the Black Cats' unbeaten run comes to an end
Swansea boss Russell Martin made four changes, in his case to the side that started the midweek win at Watford. He brought in Darling, Cooper, Luke Cundle, and Joel Latibeaudiere, with Kyle Naughton, Matty Sorinola, Olivier Ntcham, and Michael Obafemi dropping to the bench.
Sunderland were off the pace right from kick-off, with Swansea missing two big chances to score inside the opening 90 seconds. The Swans won an early corner Patterson was forced into action, with a follow-up shot from Jay Fulton blocked, before the ball was played back into the box and Ben Cabango steered a header wide of the target when he should have done better.
A few minutes later, a low pass into the box found the unmarked Cundle but his first touch was poor, and that allowed Patterson to scoop up the loose ball. Patterson was then down quickly to his right to push a shot from Cundle wide of the post.
Sunderland's only real chance of the first period came inside the opening ten minutes after good work from Clarke, Alex Pritchard, and Aji Alese carved out a chance for Patrick Roberts, but his shot went wide of the left-hand post.
Swansea made the breakthrough on 13 minutes. Skipper Matt Grimes cut the ball back to Cooper inside the area on the left and he hit a low shot, Luke O'Nien stuck out a foot in an effort to make the block but only succeeded in diverting it into the bottom left-hand corner, leaving Patterson - who might well have saved the original shot - with no chance.
Swansea were in total control after going in front. And they added to their lead in the first minute of injury time at the end of the first half.
Alese conceded a free-kick out on the right and when the ball was swung into the box it was headed down by Nathan Wood at the far post, and Darling stabbed home from close range. It was an abysmal first-half showing from Sunderland, but they gave themselves a route back into the game with an early goal in the second period.
Mowbray switched Clarke into a more central role for the second half, and it immediately paid dividends as the ball was played through to him and he raced into the penalty area before firing low across Steven Benda into the bottom right-hand corner to halve the deficit in the 52nd minute. Sunderland improved significantly after the goal, and for a spell it was Swansea who looked edgy.
But Patterson had a big let-off midway through the half when he passed the ball straight to Joel Piroe on the edge of the area, and it needed an important interception from Danny Batth to avert the danger, and the defender was then fouled. Patterson made up for that error a few minutes later when he made a brilliant save on his line to keep out Piroe's header from a corner, when it looked a goal all the way.
Mowbray made a triple substitution late in the game and one of those new introductions, Amad, almost conjured an equaliser when he worked space for a shot inside the box, but his effort took a deflection and the keeper saved. Sunderland pushed hard for an equaliser in the final minutes, and they felt they were denied a penalty injury time when Clarke was sent sprawling, but the referee instead penalised the attacker and booked him for diving.
How they lined up
Swansea City: Benda, Wood (Sorinola 77), Darling, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Grimes, Fulton, Manning, Cundle (Obafemi 58), Piroe (Oko-Flex 87), Cooper (Ntcham 58). Subs not used: Fisher, Stevens, Naughton
Booked: Fulton, Latibeaudiere
Sunderland: Patterson, Gooch, O'Nien, Batth, Alese, Roberts (Bennette 63), Neil (Matete 77), Evans, Clarke, Embleton (Ba 77), Pritchard (Amad 77). Subs not used: Bass, Cirkin, Wright
Booked: Neil, Evans, Embleton, Clarke, Gooch
Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey)
Attendance:
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