Sunderland put three points on the board on Friday night. Now, they can relax and watch the rest of the Championship unfold over the weekend.
Sunderland beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 on Friday night. The Sky Sports cameras watched on as Eliezer Mayenda scored a second brace of the season against the Owls, making for a memorable night for those travelling Black Cats supporters.
Regis Le Bris will be delighted with the win, especially after making five changes to his Sunderland starting XI after back-to-back defeats in the Championship, and for the first time under his watch.
Mayenda has earned praise for his performance on the night as he takes his Championship goals tally to six for the season. Meanwhile, Leo Hjelde failed to impress the Sunderland fans.
But on the whole, it’s a huge positive that Le Bris can make such drastic changes to his side and still beat a very strong Sheffield Wednesday side away from home.
The win keeps Sunderland in 4th place of the Championship table and closes the gap to Burnley in 3rd to just three points. Another positive on the night was the debut for academy gem Harrison Jones.
Harrison Jones makes Sunderland debut, Trey Ogunsuyi reacts
The 20-year-old midfielder came off the bench late on against Sheffield Wednesday. He slotted in on the left side and kept play ticking over in the final few minutes, even making some nice passes as his side held on for the win.
He’s another name who Sunderland fans have been eager to see more of in the Championship, given the recent successes of names like Chris Rigg and Tommy Watson who’ve stepped up from the academy.
The Englishman featured in both the FA Cup and EFL Cup for Sunderland earlier in the season. After making his Championship debut on Friday night, Jones posted on Instagram to celebrate the moment.
His academy teammate Trey Ogunsuyi called him a ‘baller’ in the comments whilst captain Dan Neil wrote ‘congrats mate’.
Harrison Jones on similar path to one Sunderland star
Having now made his Championship debut and having looked solid, Le Bris might give Jones some more minutes in the coming weeks, especially if Sunderland can wrap up a play-off spot early doors.
And next season, if Sunderland don’t earn promotion, Jones could become a more regular feature, much like Watson has been this season.
Watson had to be very patient last season but he’s getting his game time now, albeit sporadically still because of injury and competition in his position.
But if Jones can stay patient and take his chances when they come, then in a couple of years or less he may become one of the regulars in the Sunderland starting XI.