Sunderland cash in on McClean’s touch of good fortune

QUESTION: How do you know when things are going your way?

For James McClean, who can seem to do no wrong at present, the answer arrived 14 minutes into a contest that saw Sunderland earn a sixth victory in Martin O’Neill’s increasingly fruitful nine-game tenure.

Stephane Sessegnon, cutting in from the left, played the ball into the area towards the young Irishman, who failed to control the pass. Rather than the move break down, the 22-year-old’s lack of a deft touch merely turned into a perfect wall pass for his teammate, who continued his run to break the deadlock with a sublime finish from a diminishing angle. Here’s the delightfully partisan description of McClean’s role in the goal on the club’s official Twitter feed: “A praiseworthy contribution from McClean in the build-up. The two linked up superbly.” We’ll reserve judgment on that particular take.

“I’m just trying to take things in my stride,” the Derry-born player insisted, an inviting second half cross from which Sessegnon almost doubled his tally a more accurate reflection of the winger’s influence on a largely forgettable encounter enlivened by two fine finishes, the second, from distance, arriving five minutes before the end from substitute Craig Gardner.

Clearly making the most of the chance afforded him under the new regime, McClean added: “I’ve got faith in my ability and playing with this standard of players makes it easier if anything. Hopefully being in the side hasn’t changed anything about me.”

McClean’s compatriot John O’Shea endured more than a couple of shaky moments as Sunderland climbed back into the top half having taken 16 points from a possible 24 since the new manager took charge last month. But it’s hard to argue with a clean sheet as the 30-year-old acclimatises to his centre-back role, a position he featured in far from regularly during his time at Manchester United. “I’m pleased he’s getting a bit of confidence about himself,” said O’Neill. “Sometimes, when you move from a club like United where you’ve won a lot of things and been part of a successful team, then you move out of that environment you feel as if you have to do something unbelievably special. He just needs to play the game he’s been playing for the last eight or nine years and for me, that would be sufficient.”

Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers wasn’t without justification in his assertion that his side deserved at least a share of the spoils, if nothing else for the way they at times monopolised possession, Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham wasting presentable first-half chances as Gylfi Sigurdsson, making his full debut on loan from Hoffenhem, stood out in midfield.

“It certainly was not a case of after the lord mayor’s show,” he insisted, in the wake of last week’s stirring victory over Arsenal.

“Had we come here and were flat and not dominant then they could have said that but not now,” added Rodgers, who commendably refused to make more of an ugly second-half challenge on Sinclair by Seb Larsson, which though similar to the one that earned Vincent Kompany a red card from Chris Foy in the Manchester derby earlier this month, went unpunished by the official.