Sunderland had to dig deep on Saturday afternoon to grab a win against Cardiff City, and Chris Mepham was the hero with his first goal for the Black Cats.
While the Black Cats dominated the first and last 20 minutes at the Stadium of Light this weekend, they were made to work by a Cardiff side fighting relegation.
Eliezer Mayenda was the star of the show, but it was Chris Mepham who popped up with the winning goal on the day — his first in the red and white of Sunderland.
It was a great moment for the big defender, and an important three points for the Mackems as they look to secure that play-off place as soon as possible.
Chris Mepham reflects on first Sunderland goal, thinks Black Cats were deserved winners vs Cardiff
Mepham has been a key figure in the Sunderland squad this season, lending his experience and stability at the back to the Black Cats’ promotion charge.
But, after bagging his first goal, he told the club’s social media account why it was such a ‘special’ goal and explained how happy he was to make the difference on the day.
Mepham said: “A special moment, my mum and dad were here for the game… Ironically my mum actually said try and score today.
“I’m delighted with the goal, but especially happy with the win. Based on the first half I think we deserved it, we conceded a soft goal but in the end it was good for me to contribute to the victory.”
Cardiff City boss Omer Riza believed his side deserved a point from the game, but Mepham insisted Sunderland looked better than ever on Saturday and were worthy winners.
He added: “I think the first 20-25 minutes were as good a period as we’ve had all season. We dominated, we cut them open… we should have been two or three up… but I thought the reaction in the second half was good, how we had to bide our time, I thought it was a deserved win.
“At Sheffield Wednesday, we found a way to win… this was a lot better, though. Back-to-back wins, and hopefully we can carry that momentum into a big week for us.”
Sunderland now look ahead to a clash with Preston North End on Tuesday, before taking on in-form Coventry City at the weekend.
Will Chris Mepham join Sunderland permanently?
Mepham’s successful loan spell on Wearside has naturally prompted calls for the defender to be signed permanently in the summer.
As things stand, his contract with parent club Bournemouth is set to expire at the end of the season, but the Cherries do have the option to trigger a one-year extension.
However, we believe Bournemouth will let Mepham go, and conversations around that matter are expected to be held once the season ends.
Mepham himself has spoken about how much he loves being at Sunderland and praised the connection he has with the fans at the club. With this in mind, there’s every chance the big defender would want to stick around long-term.