Sunderland 2-1 Rotherham United: Jobe Bellingham beats Millers twice

Jobe Bellingham (left) made the reported £1.5million move from Birmingham to Sunderland this summer

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray said it was “a pleasure to work alongside 17-year-old Jobe Bellingham” after the midfielder scored his first senior goals in the comeback win in the Championship against Rotherham.

A summer native of Birmingham, Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude’s younger brother scored goals in both half-time breaks in front of over 40,000 fans at the Stadium of Light.

Hakeem Odoffin had put Rotherham ahead with his first try after 20 minutes.

Bellingham headed the almost instant equalizer and then struck the winner early in the second half before missing a couple of chances for a hat-trick.

It gave the Black Cats their first win of the season and leaves Rotherham with just a point from their first three games.

“Speaking to Jobe, he’s disappointed that he hasn’t scored more goals – but he’s in the six-yard box, he’s there, he’s playing the role we asked him to play. He showed good flexibility. He scored his goals and helped the team win,” Sunderland manager Mowbray told ` Radio Newcastle.

Mowbray dismissed talk of him being able to use Belllingham as a striker, saying: “It’s not a possibility and we wouldn’t expect it to be. He’s not number nine. I think he can play on the touchline, he can play like the number six and that too.” One of two defensive midfielders, he can obviously run and be a runner [number] Eight – I played him as number 10.

“I think his greatest asset is that he wants to learn football. He’s 17 but he asks the coaches questions every day: Why am I doing this? Where am I going? What should I do?”

“He’s really a pleasure to work with and I’m just so glad he scored some goals and helped the team win.”

Sunderland started better but Rotherham grew into the game and some complicated passes down the right side saw Oli Rathbone find Odoffin in the box and the latter fired in an angle under Anthony Patterson for his second goal in as many games.

It was a wake-up call for the hosts and within two minutes Jack Clarke headed in a deep cross from the left which Dan Neil headed back over the goal and Bellingham headed past Viktor Johansson, who was unable to make it.

Rotherham lost Odoffin within half an hour to injury but Cafu tested Patterson from an angle and Jordan Hugill found the goal after good work from Andre Green after the break.

At Sunderland, a Bradley Dack slip prevented the conversion at the far post, Clarke fired over the bar and Pierre Ekwah’s low shot from long range was parried well by Johansson.

But Sunderland made the Millers pay after 52 minutes when Bellingham calmly fired in from Dack’s assist to put the hosts ahead for the first time this season.

Shortly after defender Cameron Humphreys saved Bellingham’s hat-trick with a brave block and Tyler Blackett thwarted Patrick Roberts.

Bellingham fired a volley just wide of the post before being substituted off to great applause, while Clarke fired straight at Johansson and substitute Luis Hemir hissed wide of the post late as Sunderland tried to seal it.

Rotherham boss Matt Taylor told ` Radio Sheffield:

“Immediately after the game I was frustrated because I thought we did enough defensively to get something out of the game.”

“Our handling of the ball has let us down too many times – when it hasn’t we’ve scored an excellent goal and created some good moments. I think in the end fatigue played a role. We gave the ball away too easily. Your goal is a …” good example of this.

“Some play empty and others are not quite at the level we need to be at. We need some people back and of course we need some help. There is only a limited amount we can do.”

lineups

sunderland

formation 4-2-3-1

1Patterson

32Hume5Ballard13O’Nien3circin

24Neil39Ekah

10Roberts7Bellingham20Clarke

46dachshund

• 1Patterson
• 32Hume
• 5Ballard
• 13O’Nien
• 3circinBooked for 10 minutes
• 24Neil
• 39Ekah
• 10RobertsReplaced byPritchardat 77′protocol
• 7BellinghamBooked for 69 minutesReplaced bySilva Semedoat 85′protocol
• 20Clarke
• 46dachshundReplaced bygoochat 85′protocol

Substitute

• 2huggins
• 6bath
• 9Silva Semedo
• 11gooch
• 17ba
• 19bennette
• 21Pritchard
• 25triantis
• 30bishop

Rotherham

formation 4-3-3

1Johansson

2Lembikisa24Humphreys6Blackett3Bramall

18Rathbone27tea7Ribeiro Dias

22Odoffin10Hugil11Green

• 1Johansson
• 2Lembikisa
• 24Humphreys
• 6Blackett
• 3BramallBooked for 33 minutes
• 18Rathbone
• 27teaReplaced byshe wasat 76′protocol
• 7Ribeiro Dias
• 22OdoffinReplaced byMcGuckinat 29′protocol
• 10HugilReplaced byeavesat 67′protocol
• 11GreenReplaced byKayodeat 67′protocol

Substitute

• 5McCart
• 9eaves
• 15she was
• 19Kayode
• 23Morrison
• 26Phillips
• 35McGuckin
• 41ayres

Referee: Gavin Ward

Number of visitors: 40,688

live text

1. Game ends: Sunderland 2, Rotherham United 1.

2. Second half ends, Sunderland 2, Rotherham United 1.

3. Foul by Lynden Gooch (Sunderland).

4. Tolaji Bola (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

5. Dennis Cirkin (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

6. Foul by Tom Eaves (Rotherham United).

7. Dennis Cirkin (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the left wing.

8. Foul by Tom Eaves (Rotherham United).

9. Trai Hume (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

10. Foul by Tolaji Bola (Rotherham United).

11. Luke O’Nien (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

12. Foul by Tom Eaves (Rotherham United).

13. attempt failed. Luís Semedo (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Supported by Lynden Gooch.

14. Substitution, Sunderland. Lynden Gooch replaces Bradley Dack.

15. Substitution, Sunderland. Luis Semedo replaces Jobe Bellingham.

16. attempt failed. Joshua Kayode (Rotherham United) header from the center of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Cafú with a cross following a set piece situation.

17. Foul by Bradley Dack (Sunderland).

18. Cafu (Rotherham United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

19. attempt saved. Jack Clarke (Sunderland) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Supported by Bradley Dack.

20. Dennis Cirkin (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.