Sunderland should have been in front well before Marcus Stewart was given time and space in the penalty area and finished well. Simple balls down the channels and good wing play gave the mackems numerous headed chances which they didn't take.
John Oster was allowed to run and run with the ball for the second but deserved his goal despite the lucky deflection and looked a different player to the one Spackman signed on loan.
The Reds got a goal back almost instantly after Shuker's cross was headed in by Boulding - again this was deserved for his constant running and he had been unlucky with a shot coming back off the inside of the post in the first half.
Plenty of substitutions in the second half as the game fizzled out without an equalizer looking likely. Of the subs, Stallard looked the sharpest again.
So who played well - Boulding and Williams were probably our best players - and we looked stronger down the left. McPhail showed some nice touches as always and Conlon and Reid could'nt be faulted for effort. Colgan eventually made some good saves after looking half asleep in the first half. The rest did ok.
Now my little moan - Burns looked poor at the front of the diamond formation and Shuker (yes he tries his heart out) doesnt look likely to score either.
Kevin Betsy would be a far better bet than either so give him a squad number!