Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of today's Championship clash between Sunderland and Coventry City at the Stadium of Light. New head coach Michael Beale takes charge of the Black Cats for the first time today following his appointment at the beginning of the week.
The former Glasgow Rangers and QPR boss arrives with Sunderland sitting just outside the play-off places and a win today as the season reaches its halfway point would see them spend Christmas inside the top six. Interim boss Mike Dodds signed off with a narrow 1-0 defeat at Bristol City last weekend, but prior to that he had overseen back-to-back home wins against top six sides West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United.
Mark Robins' Coventry finished one place and one point above Sunderland last season, but are currently six points behind the Black Cats. The Sky Blues are on a good run of form with just one defeat in their last seven games, and having drawn 1-1 at Leeds in their more recent outing.
Stick with us throughout the afternoon for all the latest build-up, updates and reaction from the Stadium of Light.
Niall Huggins
Sounds like Niall Huggins is set for another lengthy injury absence. Latest on his condition from Michael Beale.
Michael Beale reaction
Michael Beale admits his first game as Sunderland boss 'couldn't have gone any worse'.
Match report
That was a nightmare start for Beale. Sunderland are still three points away from the play-off places but this was a poor performance in a game where the new boss needed to make a positive impression in front of the home fans.
FT. Sunderland 0-3 Coventry City
And that's that.
A pretty miserable day all round.
Sunderland were well beaten by Coventry on Michael Beale's first game in charge, by the end the fans were singing the name of his predecessor Tony Mowbray, there were boos at full-time, and Niall Huggins was stretchered off with what looked like a serious injury.
Sunderland drop to ninth place, but remain three points off the play-off spots.
85mins
Sunderland fans have been singing Tony Mowbray's name. Now the Coventry fans take up the chant for their ex-boss, Sunderland fans applaud and then join in
81mins Injury
Huggins goes down with no-one near him. Big yell as he hits the deck. Looks serious. Players immediately calling for the medics. After treatment, he is stretchered off
79mins Shot!
Mayenda wafts a shot over the bar from inside the D. Should have done much better
78mins Chance!
Roberts sets up Aouchiche inside the box but he sends his shot wide of the left-hand post
70mins Sunderland 0-3 Coventry City. Goal!
Low ball across the six-yard box, spilled by Patterson and Palmer seizes on the loose ball, turns and applies the finish.
Loud boos. More fans head for the exits. Tony Mowbray's name being sung
69mins Triple substitution for Coventry City
ON: Palmer, Latibeaudiere, Dasilva
OFF: O'Hare, Allen, Simms
67mins Sunderland 0-2 Coventry City. Goal!
Wright gets into the box down the left, cuts the ball back for O'Hare and he takes a touch before firing into the right side of the net.
Boos from the Roker End behind that goal, and quite a few fans are heading for home already. Not happy
51mins Save!
Bellingham tees-up Clarke inside the box, but his low shot is too close to the keeper and he saves low to his left
48mins Save!
Clarke gets into the box on the right and tries to beat Collins at his near post but the keeper saves
⏱ And we are back under way!
Coventry kick off, with Sunderland attacking the North Stand in the second half
HT ratings
Patterson 7
Huggins 6
O'Nien 7
Ballard 7
Hume 6
Neil 6
Ekwah 6
Roberts 5
Bellingham 5
Clarke 6
Ba 4
HT. Sunderland 0-1 Coventry City
A pretty dire first half, to be honest.
Sunderland's passing has been poor, and Coventry have been no better.
Ba missed a golden opportunity to put Sunderland ahead on 20 minutes, and shortly afterwards at the other end Patterson made a brilliant double save to deny first Wright and then O'Hare.
But Sakamoto put Coventry ahead in injury time, albeit with the aid of a lucky ricochet.
A few boos at half-time.
Not the start new boss Michael Beale will have wanted
45+1mins Sunderland 0-1 Coventry City. Goal!
O'Hare gets into the box on the left, squares for Sakamoto whose shot is blocked by Hume but it rebounds back off the Coventry man and it beats Patterson and finds the bottom right-hand corner of the net
