Sunderland 1-0 Gillingham

Sunderland left it late at the Stadium of Light to overcome a resolute Gillingham defence.

Nathan Broadhead scored a header in the fifth minute of added time to secure a third successive home win for the black cats.

Sunderland dominated the game from start to finish, and would have wondered how they hadn’t scored before the Welshman came up with the goods in the dying seconds.

The Wearsiders came out of the blocks firing, with Patrick Roberts forcing a good save from Gillingham ‘keeper Aaron Chapman.

Luke O’Nien then hit the bar soon after, flicking a header onto the upright.

Anthony Patterson, the man tasked with keeping the ball out of the Sunderland net, cut a lonely figure in the first half, as he enjoyed a very quiet first half.

After the break, Sunderland continued their pressure on the Gillingham backline, but the Kent side held firm.

Alex Pritchard hit the post from a free kick and Chapman did well to keep out a Corry Evans header.

Alex Neil then made a triple substitution, in the hopes it would create a spark. Luke O’Nien, Carl Winchester and Alex Pritchard were replaced by Nathan Broadhead, Lynden Gooch and Elliot Embleton.

Then, in the dying embers of the game, on his birthday, Elliot Embleton delivered an inviting cross into the box, which Nathan Broadhead connected with sweetly with his head, causing bedlam at the Stadium of Light.

Player ratings:

Sunderland

Patterson (6); Cirkin (6), Wright (6.5) Batth (6.5), Winchester (6); Evans (5), O’Nien (5.5); Roberts (7), Pritchard (7), Clarke (6), Stewart (6)

Gooch (5), Embleton (7), Broadhead (8)

Gillingham

Chapman (7); Tucker (6.5), Ehmer (6), Masterson (6); Jackson (7), Chapman (5), Lee (5), Thompson (5.5), Tutonda (6.5); Kelman (5.5), Oliver (6.5)

Reeves (N/A), Akehurst (N/A)

MOTM - Nathan Broadhead (8)