Sunderland manager Jack Ross will be a delighted man this morning, as he mulls over a morale-boosting home win against Gillingham.

The Black Cats twice led in the early stages of the game, twice being pegged back by a resilient Gills side. Two penalties, by Will Grigg and Aiden McGeady, settled the tie and put them back in the hunt for a top two place.

They're now four points behind Barnsley with a game in hand, so there's everything left to play for at the top.

Ross will have some concerns in the aftermath of the game, as he explained to the Sunderland Echo. Chris Maguire came off during the match, with both Duncan Watmore and Jack Baldwin missing out completely.

"It was an impact injury to his calf, he was quite sore," he said of Maguire, who went off after just 12 minutes. "I thought he started really well, he is a bit sore. He will be assessed. Sometimes they can clear up quickly, we will have to wait and see.”

"Duncan had a slight groin problem, we could have risked him," he added of Watmore, who also missed out on Saturday. "All being well he will be back on Saturday in the squad."

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Finally, he revealed former Peterborough captain Baldwin was simply rested; "Jack was just a rest, we took him out to give him a rest mentally and physically. He has played a lot of minutes. Mentally it has been a big change for him this season, he has coped with it in the main really well."

The Verdict

It's interesting to read the comments on Baldwin. He's been under-fire in recent weeks and in Jimmy Dunne they have an excellent partner for Tom Flanagan.

At the beginning of the season it was Loovens and Baldwin at the back, but that looks to be a second choice paring now.

Maguire will be missed, but they have the ability to cover his absence, as they do Watmore. He'll be frustrated though, having been laid off for so long it seems Ross is taking no chances with the winger.