Sunderland boosted their hopes of securing a play-off place in League One yesterday by producing an impressive display in their showdown with Cambridge United.
The Black Cats took the lead in the 13th minute in this fixture after U's defender Lloyd Jones was sent-off for a challenge on Ross Stewart in the penalty area.
Stewart converted from the spot before Elliot Embleton added a second for his side.
Whereas Cambridge did manage to pull a goal back via a strike from Paul Digby, Sunderland regained their two goal advantage in the 36th minute when Stewart fired past Dimitar Mitov.
Following the break, Nathan Broadhead and Danny Batth scored for the Black Cats as they sealed all three points at the Stadium of Light.
As a result of this triumph, Sunderland moved up to fourth in the League One standings.
Here, we have decided to reflect on this particular fixture by taking a look at three things we clearly learnt about Sunderland after their 5-1 win over Cambridge...
Stewart's return to prominence has come at the right time for Sunderland
After going eight games without a goal, Stewart ended this particular streak by producing a superb display for Sunderland yesterday as he recorded a WhoScored match rating of 8.84 at the Stadium of Light.
The forward has now managed to find the back of the net on 24 occasions for his side in the third-tier and has seemingly timed his return to prominence to perfection.
By building upon his brace by netting in Sunderland's upcoming clashes with Rotherham United and Morecambe, Stewart could help his side clinch a play-off place.
Embleton's presence could prove to be crucial in club's promotion push
Elliot Embleton has played a key role in Sunderland's resurgence as he has netted in four of his last five appearances for the club.
As well as scoring a sublime free-kick yesterday, Embleton also provided four key passes for his team-mates and registered 141 touches of the ball (as per WhoScored).
If the midfielder is able to maintain his high standards, he could play a crucial role in the club's promotion push as he has illustrated in recent times that he is more than capable of setting the third-tier alight with his performances.
Sunderland will need to use their recent form at the Stadium of Light to their advantage in the play-offs
Providing that Sunderland do reach the play-offs later this month, they will need to use their impressive form at the Stadium of Light to their advantage in this competition in order to book a trip to Wembley Stadium.
Since handing over the reins to Alex Neil, the Black Cats have won five of the seven home games that he has overseen.
During these fixtures, Sunderland have shown plenty of attacking threat as they have managed to find the back of the net on 16 occasions.
By feeding off the support provided by their fans, Neil's side may prove to be too strong for whoever they face in the semi-finals of the play-offs.