PAST MEETINGS: Sunderland v Swans

 

The Swans ended the 2013-14 season on a high with a stylish win at the Stadium of Light.

Nathan Dyer opened the scoring after just six minutes before Marvin Emnes doubled the visitors' advantage with a powerful left-foot shot.

Former Swans loanee Fabio Borini pulled one back soon after the restart for Sunderland, but Wilfried Bony restored the two-goal lead with his 25th goal of the season.

 

SUNDERLAND: Mannone, Vergini, Brown, Bardsley (Celustka, 64), O'Shea (Altidore, 84), Bridcutt, Colback, Larsson (Ba, 71), Borini, Johnson, Wikcham.

 

SWANS: Tremmel, Bartley, Tiendalli (Davies, 75), Taylor, Amat, Emnes (De Guzman, 55), Fulton (Britton, 73), Routledge, Dyer, Shelvey, Bony.

 

 

 

Ten-man Swansea battled for a hard-earned point against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

After back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Southampton, Garry Monk's side earned a share of the spoils despite Angel Rangel's dismissal.

Connor Wickham and substitute Steven Fletcher almost won it for Sunderland late on but both headed wide of the target.

 

SUNDERLAND: Mannone, Jones, Vergini, O'Shea, van Aanholt, Cattermole, Buckley, Larsson, Rodwell (Gomez, 58), Johnson (Alvarez, 66), Wickham (Fletcher, 78).

 

SWANS: Fabianski, Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Shelvey, Ki, Dyer (Montero, 66), Sigurdsson (Richards, 82), Routledge, Gomis (Bony, 73).

 

 

 

Both sides had to settle for a point in a game that was short on entertainment on Wearside.

The Swans dominated the first half and had an early penalty appeal waved away when Itay Shechter went down under pressure from John O'Shea.

Chico Flores almost scored at the near post but Simon Mignolet made an excellent reaction save low down, while the visitors could have won it in stoppage time but Danny Graham - on his last appearance for the club - saw a close-range effort blocked.

 

SUNDERLAND: Mignolet, O'Shea, Bramble, N'Diaye (McClean, 66), Larsson, Gardner, Colback, Vaughan, Johnson (Wickham, 84), Sessegnon, Fletcher.

 

SWANS: Tremmel, Chico, Williams, Tiendalli, Davies, Britton (Graham, 75), Michu, Hernandez (Lamah, 66), Dyer, De Guzman, Shechter (Ki, 60).

 

 

 

Two sublime goals extended Sunderland's renaissance under Martin O'Neill and ended Swansea's four-game unbeaten run.

Stephane Sessegnon found the top-right corner from the left side of the penalty area to put Sunderland ahead.

Sebastian Larsson had earlier struck the Swansea post, before Scott Sinclair wasted the visitors' best chance by firing over from six yards.

Swansea dominated without threatening and Craig Gardner's late 25-yard volley wrapped up victory.

 

SUNDERLAND: Mignolet, Bardsley, Brown, Richardson, O'Shea, Cattermole, Larsson (Elmohamady, 89), Vaughan (Gardner, 78), McClean, Sessegnon, Bendtner (Wickham, 12).

 

SWANS: Vorm, Williams, Taylor, Caulker, Rangel, Britton (Routledge, 78), Sinclair, Dyer, Allen, Sigurdsson (McEachran, 66), Graham.