Samaras double seals win for City
FT: Manchester City 2 Sunderland 1
Georgios Samaras netted a first-half double to earn Manchester City a sixth successive home win at the expense of Championship-bound Sunderland.
Samaras drilled home in clinical fashion twice in the opening 10 minutes to set up what should have been a rout for the hosts.
Instead, it turned into a nervy struggle as Kevin Kyle pulled one back before the break, then Dean Whitehead wasted a couple of chances until Sunderland’s hopes disappeared with the dismissal of skipper Gary Breen six minutes from time for two bookable offences.
Sunderland wasted a golden opportunity to level when Nosworthy skipped past Richards and cut a cross back to Whitehead, which seemed to hit the Sunderland midfielder before bouncing wide.
Stephen Jordan’s last-ditch tackle denied Kyle a shooting chance, then Whitehead flashed a 20-yard effort wide as Sunderland continued to press.
City had an obvious penalty claim turned down by referee Chris Foy 16 minutes from time when Davis raced out and flattened Richards long after the ball had gone.
Davis made a sensational reaction save to deny Musampa’s close-range effort, then Whitehead saw his goalbound effort kept out by James after Arca had picked him out with a free-kick.
It proved to be a pivotal moment as, when James attempted to throw the ball out quickly to launch a City counter, Breen stuck his arms out and blocked it.
Having already been booked, Foy had little alternative other than to send the Sunderland skipper off and with him went the visitors’ hopes of snatching a point.
