Sunderland beat League One rivals Bristol Rovers 2-0 in the Checkatrade Trophy semi-finals with Will Grigg and Celtic loanee Lewis Morgan on target.
Bristol Rovers boss Graham Coughlan was left to rue his side’s failure to stop Sunderland striker Will Grigg as they were beaten 2-0 in the semi-final of the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday night, speaking to the Bristol Post.
Grigg has endured a slow start to life in red and white since his £4 million deadline day move from Wigan Athletic (BBC), scoring just one goal in five League One appearances for the Wearsiders.
But the Northern Ireland international showed his worth at last at the Memorial Stadium. He opened the scoring late in the first half, turning and firing a clinical strike into the corner before Celtic loanee Lewis Morgan booked Sunderland’s place at Wembley after the interval.
After the game, Coughlan has paid tribute to the quality at Sunderland’s disposal and singled out Grigg as the difference maker.
“We don’t come up against a team like Sunderland every week,” the Pirates boss said.
“They have got that quality in them. For Will Grigg’s goal we weren’t set up, we weren’t shaped right, they had a little bit of sustained pressure but that is the key moment in the game, you have got to be thinking clearly and we weren’t.
“We let a quality striker in Will Grigg spin us in the box and that’s what happens. That is what he is renowned for and that is the difference between the two football clubs.”
Grigg has a superb record in League One, having averaged over 20 goals a season in spells at MK Dons, Wigan and Walsall.
Sunderland will be hoping his midweek heroics will kick-start a Black Cats career that had underwhelmed prior to Tuesday’s trip to the south west.
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