Sunderland vs Rochdale. Sky Bet League One.
Stadium of LightAttendance28,764.
Saturday 22 September 2018 19:07, UK
Sunderland returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as Josh Maja and Lynden Gooch scored two goals apiece in a 4-1 win over Rochdale.
The Black Cats dominated from the outset and blitzed their opponents with three goals in the space of eight minutes at the end of the first half.
Having been crowned EFL Young Player of the Month earlier in the week, Maja scored the first as he headed home Chris Maguire's cross.
Sunderland's second came from the penalty spot, with Gooch side-footing home after he had been felled by a sliding challenge from Oliver Rathbone.
Maja added a third on the stroke of half-time, taking his tally for the season to seven, as he drilled home a low finish following a left-wing cross from full-back Denver Hume.
Jon McLaughlin made a fine double save at the start of the second half to deny Calvin Andrew and Ian Henderson, but Sunderland continued to dominate and added a fourth goal in the 67th minute when Gooch drilled a low finish into the corner.
Rochdale claimed a consolation with 18 minutes left as substitute Matthew Done converted Jordan Williams' low cross.
