Buoyed by a crowd of 42,584 his gifted, audaciously attack-minded, young team certainly proved far too good for Michael Carrick’s previously upwardly mobile Middlesbrough side. Although Boro spent most of the second half with 10 men, a Sunderland team inspired by the Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo’s attacking excellence were already well on top by the time Dael Fry was sent off. Goals from Diallo and Ross Stewart lifted them to ninth, one point adrift of sixth-placed Boro who had won seven of their previous eight Championship games. Mowbray has always believed in creating youth opportunities and, sure enough, his Sunderland starting XI featured eight players eligible for the under-23s. Like Diallo, he is flourishing under the guidance of a manager whose teams always endeavour to play attractive, passing football.
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