George Honeyman was arguably the Man of the Match as Sunderland beat League One rivals Barnsley 4-2 at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.
After successive draws against Wycombe Wanderers and Walsall, Sunderland’s crunch clash with fellow League One high-flyers Barnsley on Tuesday night took on extra significance.
Fortunately, Jack Ross’ side chose the perfect time to get back to winning ways, edging the Tykes 4-2 at the Stadium of Light in one of the most thrilling clashes anywhere in the Football League so far this season.
And while club captain George Honeyman has not always been everyone’s cup of tea, even his harshest critic would struggle to question the effectiveness of his performance against Barnsley.
Honeyman put in a quite extraordinary shift in the centre of the park, grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck when it appeared to be edging out of Sunderland’s control as Barnsley mounted a second half rally.
The 24-year-old threw his body on the line to protect Sunderland’s lead and played a major role at the other end, too, as The Black Cats retained their second place in the League One table.
According to The Sun, Sheffield United are hoping to sign Honeyman in the January transfer window but, on this evidence, Sunderland should do everything in their power to keep him.
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