Lee Johnson encourages Sunderland to keep the pressure on

Lee Johnson has challenged his table-topping Sunderland side to “keep the hammer down” to ensure 2022 is an even more successful year than 2021.

The Black Cats will end the year sitting at the top of the League One table after Ross Stewart’s first professional hat-trick helped secure an emphatic 5-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

The last 12 months have seen a change of ownership at the Stadium of Light as well as the euphoria of a Wembley win in the Papa John’s Trophy, but the ultimate aim of winning promotion back to the Championship was not achieved.

That will be the overriding ambition in 2022, but while Johnson is delighted with the way his side has climbed the table in the last month or so, he acknowledges it is far too early to be taking anything for granted.

Johnson said: “We need to keep the hammer down, simple as that. It’s a long project and there’s a lot to do to get us to where we want to be. A win or two can’t make us think we’ve cracked it.

“We have to drive forward. We’ve played some fantastic football in 2021, and the philosophy is there to see. But we need to keep getting better at that and maintain the focus. We know how quickly it can turn in football.”

Nevertheless, Johnson was justifiably proud of his players’ efforts as they recorded their joint-biggest win of the season against a Sheffield Wednesday side that travelled to Wearside on the back of a 12-game unbeaten run in the league.

Stewart’s hat-trick provided the highlight of the evening – Johnson joked the Scottish striker will have to fork out £45 for the match ball – with Callum Doyle and Benji Kimpioka also finding the net.

Johnson said: “It was very, very pleasing. After a difficult run of games, physically, the boys have really dug in. It’s heavy pitches at this time of the year, but they were really professional and solid.

“We didn’t start well, I thought in the first ten minutes they were the better side and the goal probably came against the run of play a bit. But we recognised their high line, and I think that was the key.

“When you’ve got Ross Stewart or Leon Dajaku being able to run off the back of people, any high line is very dangerous against a team like ours.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore did not see his side’s five-goal defeat coming, but admitted his players’ disastrous defending meant they got what they deserved.

Moore said: “That was a disastrous evening for us. We have given away stupid goals and it was way short of what we expect from the team. They were calamitous goals and I’m really disappointed with that.

“We have a game to prepare for now and we need to get to it. We were bang in form coming here, looking to do the double on them and get in the play-off places. I didn’t see that coming. It is bitterly disappointing.

“Yes, we have shut down the training ground and not played for two weeks but I won’t use that as an excuse. That was a disastrous performance. We can’t harbour on this, we have a quick turnaround now. I don’t expect that from a Sheffield Wednesday team and rest assured I’ve had a go and let them know that.”