Matchday Musings: Wilson, we Is-adore you

Today at 01:00 AM

We are top of the league, say we are top of the league!

I've never really known what to make of Hull. They are a bit of a "meh" outfit, both on and off the pitch. They've always been viewed with a kind of apathy; they are a club you'd arguably place in the same bracket of indifference as Forest Green Rovers and Rich Tea biscuits.

Aside from being the 2017 City of Culture and a stadium name that changes like the wind, Hull is also home to the Championship's cringyest chant: "You're getting mauled by the Tigers". While there weren't too many initial concerns about a potential mauling prior to the game, Sunday's opposition were no slouches, having won three of their last four.

Having spent the entirety of the international break at the top of the league, we headed into the clash with Hull in second place, with Burnley's win over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon seeing the Clarets leapfrog us. Looking to restore our table-topping status, Le Bris named an unchanged side to the one that drew with Leeds a fortnight ago.

Notably, Adil Auochiche was included in the matchday squad for the first time in two months.

Sunderland started the game the brighter of the two sides, pinning Hull back with the press and asserting ourselves by dominating the ball. Patrick Roberts, Chris Rigg, and Trai Hume were linking up superbly down the right and caused Hull's Cody Drameh all sorts of trouble.

There is a certain telepathy between Roberts and Rigg, akin to that of Roberts and Amad Diallo the season before last, where the deft touches and intricate interplay were, at times, effortless. Despite our early pressure, aside from a blocked Trai Hume effort and a tame Wilson Isidor shot, we created little of note.

What was concerning is that Hull seemed happy to sit back, absorb the press, and hit us on the counter. Our high line, while effective in allowing us to press from the front and sustain territory, was far too susceptible to flash counter-attacks, with Bedia, Belloumi, and Kamara (three players I'd never even heard of until Sunday) getting in behind unchallenged on numerous occasions, especially down our right where there was acres of space. Thankfully, the defensive brilliance of Chris Mepham and Luke O'Nien meant that we could afford to live a little dangerously.

Hull arguably finished the first-half the better of the two teams, with their counters possessing a potency and bite that we seemed to lack. Hull's calls for Chris Mepham to be sent off fell on deaf ears, with referee Bobby Madley (who seemed to have somewhat of a sensory malfunction all afternoon… more on that later) waving play-on after the ball hit Mepham's hand.

Sunderland didn't come out for the second-half, not for the first 10 minutes at least, as Hull started where they left off. It took a Bedia shot to rattle against Anthony Patterson's right-hand post to spark us back into life. We began to re-establish some semblance of control, with Jobe proving particularly pivotal in the middle of the park, with his commanding presence and eagerness to dictate play coming to the fore. It's still hard to believe he's only 19.

Following a cleared Hull corner just past the hour mark, Bobby Madley made further headlines by getting in the way of Hull's Simons, who turned into the oncoming Dan Neil. The resulting challenge from Neil set Wilson Isidor on his way as he pounced on the loose ball some 70 metres out. Fervently pursued by Drameh, Isidor held off his man and coolly dinked it over the Hull keeper to round off an exquisitely taken solo effort.

After the goal, we were both resilient and dogged in our determination to see the game out. Restricting Hull to nothing more than a few half-chances, as well as coming close ourselves through Chris Rigg, who lashed it against the side netting.

Having bravely spoken publicly about his issues with alcoholism in recent weeks, it was disappointing to hear the boos ring out on Humberside as Aaron Connolly made his Sunderland bow. Fortunately, those boos were drowned out by the defiant Sunderland faithful, who sang the striker's name in response. As debuts go, it was a solid cameo, with the Irishman looking lively and seeking to add to the two goals he's already chalked up for the Under-23s.

The game ostensibly petered out, with Mepham and O'Nien being largely responsible. The pair were outstanding at the back all afternoon, dealing with a lively Hull front three. Unsurprisingly, they were the two summoned by Sky after the game to conduct the post-match interview.

In terms of performances, this was an all-round solid group effort. These players emphasise what can be achieved when heart, fight, and resilience are coupled with serious talent. Despite his incredible individual goal, Isidor's running off the ball is Ross Stewart-esque, and registering three goals in seven games is a testament to both his work rate and movement. Rigg, who became the third-youngest player to reach the 30 Championship appearances milestone, was, once again, sensational.

This was a hard-fought win and one that only required one moment of magic. It was by no means a memorable spectacle, and as Régis Le Bris stated in his pre-match press conference, there is still plenty of room for development. That said, this was indicative of a side not only high on confidence, but one that has grit, determination, and an ability to snatch results in any manner possible. What I am sure of, though, is that Le Bris has demonstrated consistently that he can be trusted when it comes to altering us tactically, equipping us with the necessary tools to deal with any opponent effectively.