Sunderland increase Cardiff relegation fears

Sunderland maintained their faint hopes of a play-off berth with a deserved 1-0 win that pushes Cardiff further into the Championship relegation fight.

Sunderland dominated the first half, but could not find a breakthrough.

Defeat sees Cardiff sink to 21st in the Championship, just a point above Reading and the relegation zone.

Concerns will no doubt be rising in the Welsh capital as the goal-shy Bluebirds were beaten on Easter Monday for a third successive time to increase their anxieties about playing League One football next season.

This was a contest that on paper neither side could afford to lose, with Cardiff starting the day just a point outside the relegation zone despite their 3-1 win at Blackpool on Good Friday.

Sunderland kicked off in the Welsh capital seven points adrift of a play-off berth, following their topsy-turvy 4-4 draw with Hull City that saw them concede in the eighth minute of added time.

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray made four changes to the XI who started against Hull for the Black Cats’ first league visit to Cardiff in five years and it was his side who started on the front foot with Pierre Ekwah and Daniel Neil both firing off target.

In a contest lacking in quality the Black Cats continued to probe with Abdoullah Ba forcing Ryan Allsop to save, while only poor control denied Amad Diallo a clear sight of goal and Danny Batth headed over from a corner.

Sunderland were on top to such a degree that Cardiff boss Sabri Lamouchi made a surprising double change on 36 minutes as Jaden Philogene and Sheyi Ojo were replaced by the more defensively minded Andy Rinomhota and Jack Simpson, moments before the visitors saw a Jack Clarke header ruled out for offside.

It took Cardiff 40 minutes to find an effort on target and they should have scored when Sory Kaba was given space for a free header, but his effort was straight at Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.

Another Bluebirds substitute, Kion Etete, forced Patterson to save on 50 minutes as the hosts finally stirred, but Sunderland deservedly took the lead when Cirkin smashed home after Pritchard’s free-kick had struck the post and deflected off Allsop’s back.

The visitors should have stretched their lead when Neil fired over from Diallo’s cross and Cardiff almost levelled through Mark McGuinness’ header, but Patterson saved as Sunderland’s large travelling contingent of fans enjoyed themselves.

A Cardiff comeback never looked likely as the lowest scorers in the Championship slipped to a 20th defeat of the campaign, with only Reading’s points deduction keeping them out of the bottom three.

Easter Monday wins have been scarce for Sunderland who had won just two of their last 17 league games, but boss Mowbray has now won five of his last seven away games in the Welsh capital and sees his side rise to 10th.