Sunderland thrashed Sheffield Wednesday at the Stadium of Light to move into the Championship’s top two after the first two matches of the season.

 

First-half goals from Dennis Cirkin, Eliezer Mayenda and Luke O’Nien put the Black Cats in control at the break.

And Mayenda’s second of the game effectively sealed the points for Sunderland within two minutes of the restart.

The victory meant Sunderland moved behind early leaders Burnley on goal difference, with six points from six.

Wednesday, meanwhile, followed up a dominant 4-0 opening-day win over Plymouth Argyle with a miserable defeat by the same scoreline.

Wednesday dominated possession in the first half and hardly allowed Sunderland a kick inside the opening 10 minutes. But the home side then went ahead through a well-worked routine.

Patrick Roberts’ deep free-kick found Cirkin unmarked at the back post, with a screen of Sunderland players protecting his run from the Wednesday defence, and the left-back headed precisely past Owls goalkeeper James Beadle.

The goal immediately changed the flow of the game and Sunderland doubled their lead five minutes later after a gift from the Owls.

Josh Windass’s flick deflected right into the path of striker Mayenda in acres of space outside the box.

The 19-year-old had time to steady himself and finish confidently past Beadle for his first goal for the club.

O’Nien made it 3-0 inside 24 minutes when he reacted quickest to prod home 17-year-old Chris Rigg’s deflected shot.

Wednesday’s players called for the offside flag but Windass was keeping the midfielder-turned-centre-back onside.

The away side’s misery was compounded almost immediately, when Svante Ingelsson looked to have got one back, but the offside flag was raised this time for offside against Djeidi Gassama in the build-up.

Replays showed both decisions were correct.

Beadle produced a brilliant save to keep out Rigg’s deflected shot deep into first-half stoppage time and keep Wednesday in the game going into half-time.

But the contest was all-but over inside two minutes of the restart as Mayenda finished off a fine team move for his second goal of the game.

Roberts' through-ball set Jack Clarke free down the left and the cross found Mayenda free in the middle to tap home past Beadle.

Wednesday had plenty of the ball in the second half without testing Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.

Michael Smith’s blazed effort in stoppage time summed up the visitors’ second-half performance as Sunderland recorded their second clean sheet from their opening two games.