Alex Neil reveals what Sunderland need to work on following the club’s triumph over Wigan

Sunderland manager Alex Neil has admitted that he is hoping to see his side improve their ability to move the ball in a quick fashion when they are in possession.

The Black Cats ended their wait for a victory in League One last weekend as they defeated Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.

Sunderland entered this clash as underdogs due to the fact that the Latics currently occupy one of the automatic promotion spots in the third-tier standings.

Undeterred by this status, the Black Cats went on to deliver a fantastic display against Leam Richardson’s side.

Bailey Wright opened the scoring for the visitors by heading home from Alex Pritchard’s free-kick.

Ross Stewart then doubled his side’s advantage from the penalty spot after being brought down in the area by Curtis Tilt.

Following the break, Stewart netted his second penalty of the afternoon as Sunderland cruised to victory.

As a result of this triumph, Neil’s side moved up to fifth in the League One standings.

Reflecting on the club’s victory, Neil has identified an area that he believes that Sunderland can improve upon.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, Neil said: “There’s still more to come from us I think, in terms of moving the ball a little bit quicker probably, moving the ball from side to side a little bit better.

“But Saturday wasn’t really about that.

“It was about making sure we stood up, and then the quality we did have was always going to be a factor in the game, and it was.”

The Verdict

If Sunderland are able to improve this particular facet of their game, they could become a major contender for promotion via the play-offs later this year.

Having sent out a signal of intent to the rest of the division by beating Wigan, the Black Cats will now need to back up