Stoke City 2-1 Sunderland: Alex Neil guides the Potters to victory over his former side

Stoke secured a first home win since August as they battled for a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Sunderland.

The Potters took an early lead when the returning Ryan Mmaee opened his Sky Bet Championship goal account following a summer switch from Ferencvaros.

But the hosts' celebrations were cut short when Jack Clarke levelled soon after with his eighth league goal of the season, climbing to the top of the division's scoring charts in the process.

The half-time instructions of Alex Neil - the former Black Cats boss - proved key as Stoke regained the lead with Luke McNally's first goal since March 2022.

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And Neil's Sunderland successor Tony Mowbray was a frustrated figure as the visitors failed to avoid a second defeat in a row despite a late onslaught.

Stoke, who sat two points above the drop zone prior to the fixture, started brightly as they looked to return from the international break with a flourish.

And their early dominance was rewarded inside seven minutes when Mmaee - making a first appearance since August due to injury - notched the opener.

An inviting Mehdi Leris flick-on teed up the Morocco international, who finished with aplomb into the far corner for his first Championship goal.

However, the home side's lead proved short-lived as Sunderland levelled inside four minutes, mainly thanks to a combination of industry and flair courtesy of Jobe Bellingham.

The 18-year-old won possession back before weaving through the Potters' defence, with his venomous strike parried by Mark Travers fortuitously into the path of Clarke.

An opportunity of that nature was all too inviting for the red-hot Clarke, who obliged and tapped in to become the division's top scorer outright.

Wouter Burger nearly followed in the footsteps of team-mate Mmaee in notching his first Stoke league goal, but his ambitious effort from range was tipped over.

And Mmaee himself nearly added a second to his tally after the half-hour mark, only for his goal-bound header to be cleared off the line.

The hosts were nearly architects of their own downfall after some calamitous defending, but the opportunistic Abdoullah Ba could only fire into the side netting.

Despite ending the half fortunate to be level, Stoke returned from the interval with the wind in their sails and a spring in their step.

And Neil's side reassumed control of the tie when Daniel Johnson's deep corner delivery was nodded home by on-loan Burnley defender McNally for his first Potters strike.

Mowbray attempted to ignite a Sunderland fightback with a triple change after the hour mark, and his switch nearly yielded an immediate reward.

Substitute Bradley Dack's enticing set-piece was met by a powerful Daniel Ballard header which cannoned off the post.

The 2,590 travelling Sunderland fans tried to rouse their side with Adil Aouchiche and Clarke going closest to an equaliser, but the Black Cats' efforts were in vain.

The managers

Stoke's Alex Neil:

"We're a team very much in transition and that's frustrating because the nature of the Championship is you need to win games. I think the fans understand where we are as a club; you want your club to win games and you want to be successful and push on up the league. But I think we need to recognise where we currently are and that we do have great potential.

"Naturally Sunderland piled pressure on at the end and they're the best games to win when you really need to dig in, so it's really satisfying. At the end of the day, the proof's in the pudding and you need to do it on the pitch, but I thought against a really good side, we more than matched them. We've got some tough games coming up so today was a good day for us."

Sunderland's Tony Mowbray:

"It was a frustrating day for us and we didn't start either half well enough. It's almost like you need a slap before you react to the fight. We talked about trying to be ready for the physical confrontation and we fell a little bit short today in that aspect. We created enough chances today not to lose the match but we fell below par for the way we play and what we do. Not just for the goals; it looks like a blatant handball the first one and then it's frustrating for any football team to concede from a corner.

"In our defence, we've only had one training day with the team that started today so it's probably understandable that we weren't at our fluent best. We're a young team; coming to Stoke City is never easy and they have to learn that intensity, aggression and closing down is all part of the game. You either stand up to it and play around it or you succumb, and I think we weren't brave enough. Were they hanging on at the end? Maybe. Should we have scored? Yeah, but we didn't so it goes in the history books as 2-1 and we have to live with it."