Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink pleased for scorer Jonny Smith as Burton beat Sunderland
Posted Wednesday, August 18, 2021 by PA
Burton boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was delighted to see Jonny Smith curl home his first goal of the season to secure an impressive 1-0 home win over Sunderland.
Smith instinctively fired home when a loose ball came to him midway through the second half to down the Black Cats and maintain Albion’s 100 per cent start in Sky Bet League One.
“We expect so much from Jonny because we know that he has got it in him,” said Hasselbaink “At the defining moment he was there. He was single-minded. He didn’t take a touch. It was bang and it was a goal and it was an important moment from him.”
Hasselbaink was cautious in his praise after seeing his side maintain their perfect start, with goalkeeper Ben Garratt also making a number of important saves throughout the game.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he continued. “I am happy with the result.
“The performance was not as good as against Ipswich. Our energy levels dropped a little bit today but we overcame it. We rode our luck a little bit here and there, especially in the first half.
“But we were playing Sunderland, with really good players, players with lots of experience who can play a lot of one-twos around the box and get shots off and it was one of those days today when you really needed your goalkeeper to be on top form, and he was.”
Sunderland manager Lee Johnson was philosophical as he reflected on how his side had come off the pitch with nothing to show for their efforts.
“I thought we were really good,” he said. “I thought Burton were good in terms of their solidarity and their set plays but in general play I thought we were very slick and we were very solid.”
Sunderland were made to pay for their profligacy, particularly early on when Aiden McGeady raced half the length of the pitch but failed to finish.
“We created some brilliant chances right from the first 20 minutes when we could have been a couple of goals to the good but then we don’t finish,” Johnson said.
“I can’t pick out any individual to say that they didn’t perform and we need to up our final ball and today was all about quality in the final third.
“We have got it in abundance but through Burton’s good defending and blocking and our lack of ability to pick out that really important goal ball, which is unlike us, we don’t finish.
“But I think that if you play that game 100 times I think we win 85, I really do.
“I think if we score first, Burton come out and it is a bit more of a basketball match but it is a great finish for them.
“They have had a couple of good chances but subjectively I thought we were alright out there tonight.”
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