Sunderland 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday: Alex Neil’s Black Cats take slender advantage to Hillsborough

There is something about the acoustics here, especially on nights as boisterous as this when the decibels are as high as the stakes, that the Stadium of Noise would be a more fitting title for Sunderland’s partisan home.

It helps when you have a crowd of 44,742, the highest for a play-off semi-final in the history of the Football League; take that in when you consider the lunacy of the Black Cats even being here in the first place.

It helps, too, when your team comes into the game 13 unbeaten under a new manager. Make that 14 after Ross Stewart’s only goal gave them a slender yet precious first-leg advantage.

Sunderland won their play-off semi-final first-leg tie on Friday thanks to Ross Stewart’s goal

The hosts won in front of a partisan, raucous, record crowd of 44,742 at the Stadium of Light

There is something about the acoustics here, like on nights like this when the decibels are as high as the stakes, the Stadium of Noise would be a more fitting title for Sunderland’s home

If Alex Neil’s side maintain their run at Hillsborough on Monday night, Wembley awaits. With it, a chance to bring closure on four years of purgatory – some would argue hell – here in League One.

Neil quite passionately – in fact, make that aggressively – refutes the suggestion that his new club are worthy of more. His point is that Sunderland are where they are for a reason.

He is right, of course, but occasions like this really do have the feel of a Premier League setting, never mind the Championship. Wednesday and their fans will no doubt make an equally compelling case in the return leg.

They were never going to silence a capacity crowd but, for 45 minutes, they had succeeded in subduing those on the pitch.

Darren Moore must have felt like screaming, then, when his side conceded in the first minute of stoppage-time, especially given the self-inflicted nature of it. Striker Stewart had spent much of the first half in the pocket of Sam Hutchinson.

But when the defender hesitated in possession 40 yards from goal, Stewart climbed from said pocket and duly picked it by nicking the ball and making his escape in the direction of the visiting goal.

Hutchinson gave chase but, by the time he recovered the ground, Stewart was squeezing home at the second attempt after his initial poke was blocked by goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

It was his 25th of the season and, on the back of a recent Scotland call-up, his is a career with scope for big improvement yet. Team-mate Patrick Roberts can only hope the same is true of his remaining playing days. 

Such was his promise as a teenager, the winger might well have been playing for Manchester City in another semi-final this week. Indeed, he was still on City’s books as recently as January, when released to join Sunderland on a free.

But third-tier football is the reality for the 25-year-old, whose myriad loan moves have taken a path as winding as the forward runs which persuaded City to pay £12million for him seven years ago.

Wednesday boss Darren Moore (second right) will be frustrated about the manner of the goal

Scottish striker Stewart scored after picking the pocket of Owls defender Sam Hutchinson

To that end, the sight of Roberts jinking by a string of blue-and-white jerseys as early as the third minute was a reminder as to his talent. 

His eventual shot, saved comfortably by Peacock-Farrell, was also a reminder as to why he never made the grade at the Etihad.

Such efforts are always greeted with great gusto by a home crowd during the infancy of a contest. Call it optimism. But so loud was the roar here, you would have sworn Roberts had found the top corner. 

Some goals at this level are met with less of a racket. It set the tone for a raucous night, throughout which each decision was contested, and each tackle hailed as a declaration of intent. They were roaring Roberts forward again before half-time. 

Alex Neil’s men will take a one-goal advantage to Hillsborough for the second leg next week

The offensive wound up with Corry Evans – in space on the D – and he soon sized a shot. The midfielder would have been better off measuring a pass, so badly sliced was his effort. Still, though, applause, and hearty at that. These were supporters here to support.

But it perhaps said much for the quality on offer – or rather, the lack of it – that the closest Sunderland came to scoring before their opening goal was a Lynden Gooch cross so very nearly wonderfully misplaced beneath the crossbar. Peacock-Farrell was alert to the trajectory and shovelled behind for a corner.

The Owls keeper denied Alex Pritchard after the break with a fine fingertip to divert the midfielder’s 20-yard curler into the low rows behind his goal. The same player had not long struck the bar from similar distance.

And that was the only sour note for Sunderland, their failure to add to Stewart’s goal. The noise that met the full-time whistle might have suggested this tie is won. It is not, and Monday promises to be another belter.