OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1, SUNDERLAND 2
Lee Johnson made a winning return to Boundary Park as Sunderland knocked Oldham Athletic out of the Papa John’s Trophy.
Johnson, Latics’ manager until 2015, was only in his second match in charge of the Black Cats who progressed to the last 16.
The League One side came from behind after Bobby Grant had given Latics the lead with strikes from Chris Maguire and Josh Scowen earning Johnson his first victory.
It also ensured Latics’ miserable home form continued – only one win in eight league games at Boundary Park.
Head coach Harry Kewell made his changes to the side that won at Cambridge United three days earlier.
There were starts for Carl Piergianni, Callum Whelan, Danny Rowe, Davis Keillor-Dunn, Jordan Barnett and Dylan Bahamboula,
The players to lose out were the cup-tied Harry Clarke, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Ben Garrity, Dylan Fage, Conor McAleny and Alfie McCalmont.
Latics made a bright start as Rowe forced a smart save from Anthony Patterson in the third minute.
And they made the breakthrough in the 11th minute when Bahamboula made a foraging run from deep to set up Grant who fired home a hard, low shot.
The Black Cats had chances to draw level, twice through Maguire and once from Bailey Wright.
Sunderland’s pressure paid off with Maguire equalising after half an hour, a simple far-post finish from a cross.
And they remained in the ascendancy for the remainder of the opening period.
They started the second half in a similar vein and got the goal their perseverance deserved in the 64th minute, with Scowen heading home a cross.
Latics’ first sight of goal in the second half came in the 70th minute with a smart passing move gave McAleny a chance but he blazed over.
Sunderland-born Davis Keillor-Dunn had a great chance to level the scores but Patterson did well to save his deflected effort in the 82nd minute.
Latics were more threatening late on but Sunderland held on comfortably to reach the last 16.
Oldham Athletic: Lawlor, Jombati, Piergianni, Whelan (Garrity 67), Rowe (Fage, 56), Keillor-Dunn, Grant, Ntwambe, Barnett, Diarra, Bahamboula (McAleny 67) Subs(not used): Bilboe, McCalmont, Da Silva, Hamer.
Goals: Grant, 13, for Oldham. Maguire, 30, Scowen, 64, for Sunderland.