Sunderland 1 Wigan Athletic 0: match report Sunderland did become more threatening and Ivan Ramis had to clear another Larsson free-kick off the line after goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi had been distracted by the runs of Steven Fletcher and Titus Bramble. Things started to go wrong for Wigan from the moment Jordi Gomez was shown a red card for a lunge on Danny Rose at the start of the second half. Minutes later, Sunderland took the lead as Steven Fletcher scored his fifth goal in four games, stabbing in a mis-hit cross from James McClean. Sunderland sensed a kill and Stephane Sessegnon's low shot needed to be turned round the post by Al Habsi before Craig Gardner sent a shot fizzing over. Given their inability to hold on to a lead this season, O'Neill's side needed the security of a second goal. Al Habsi did well to beat Fletcher to a cross, but the Black Cats lost the momentum the goal and sending had provided. Wigan came back at them, substitute Franco Di Santo firing over the bar after Beausejour had picked him out with a free-kick, but that was as close as they came to an equaliser as Sunderland collected three points at the 13 th time of asking. Sunderland (4-4-1-1): Mignolet; Gardner, Bramble, O'Shea, Rose; Johnson (Vaughan 79), Larsson, Colback, McClean; Sessegnon; Fletcher. Subs not used: Westwood, Campbell, Kilgallon, Meyler, Saha. Wigan Athletic (4-3-3): Al Habsi; Boyce, Ramis, Caldwell, Figueroa; Beausejour, McCarthy, McArthur; Gomez, Kone, Maloney (Di Santo 61). Subs not used: Pollitt, Jones, Watson, McManaman, Boselli, Miyaichi. Sent Off: Gomes Attendance 37,742 Referee: Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)