Times Sport
Black Cats win in snowy Stoke
4:52pm Saturday 4th February 2012
JAMES MCCLEAN scored the winner as Sunderland prevailed amid snowy conditions at Stoke City.
The winger scored a 60th minute goal to hand Martin O'Neill another three points as Sunderland maintain a top-half league position.
Snow continued to fall at the Britannia throughout the game made all the more difficult for the hosts by the first-half dismissal of Robert Huth for a challenge on David Meyler.
While replays showed that to be harsh by referee Martin Atkinson, Sunderland capitalised in the second half as McClean skipped into the box and slotted past former Black Cat Thomas Sorensen.
STOKE CITY (4-4-2): Sorensen; Wilkinson (Shottton 85), Huth, Shawcross, Wilson; Pennant (Woodgate 45), Delap, Whelan, Walters; Jerome, Crouch. Subs: Jones, Fuller, Whitehead, Diao, Shotton, Begovic.
SUNDERLAND (4-5-1): Mignolet; Bardsley, O'Shea, Turner, Richardson; Larsson, Meyler (Elmohamady 86), Gardner, Colback, McLean; Sessegnon. Subs: Bridge, Campbell, Wickham, Dong-won, Kyrgiakos, Westwood.
Att: 27,717