Régis Le Bris enjoyed a dream first home game in charge of Sunderland as the Black Cats thumped Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 at the Stadium of Light. The Owls were comfortable winners when they secured safety at Sunderland on the final day of last season but Danny Rohl’s side, who kicked off this campaign with a 4-0 win over Plymouth, were stunned on Sunday.
Dennis Cirkin set Sunderland on their way before the teenage forward Eliezer Mayenda put the hosts two in front with his first goal for the club. Luke O’Nien added a third just after the midway stage of the first half and Mayenda then got his second and Sunderland’s fourth immediately after the restart.
Le Bris was appointed in June on the back of a disappointing campaign, with Sunderland failing to win any of their last seven home games on their way to a 16th-place finish in the Championship. But Sunday’s emphatic victory means the Wearsiders join Burnley and Watford in having made a perfect start to the season with two wins from two, while Wednesday’s five-game winning streak came to a crashing halt.
Sunderland got themselves in front after 11 minutes when Cirkin got on the end of Patrick Roberts’ lofted free-kick and buried his low header into the far corner of James Beadle’s net. Four minutes later, Mayenda pounced on a mistake from Josh Windass and coolly fired into the corner from the edge of the box.
Wednesday could not get a grip found themselves 3-0 down after 24 minutes. Beadle could not keep hold of Chris Rigg’s effort from distance and O’Nien was on hand to stab home from close range. Svante Ingelsson thought he had reduced the deficit straight away but his goal was chalked off with Djeidi Gassama offside.
The visitors were fortunate to not concede a fourth goal late in the first half, Roberts cutting in from the right and sending a spectacular curling effort just over the bar. Beadle then made a stunning save to deny Rigg, whose fierce low drive looked destined for the bottom corner.
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Rohl made a half-time substitution in a bid to spark improvement, with Michael Smith replacing Gassama, but Sunderland had their fourth goal within two minutes of the restart. Jack Clarke, a menace for the Wednesday defence throughout, again broke down the left and crossed for Mayenda to blast home his second.