Sunderland beat Oxford United to reach the FA Cup fifth round after a hard-fought win at the Kassam Stadium.
The only goal came from a first-half penalty by Habib Diarra, settling a match Sunderland largely controlled. Despite losing, Oxford United, struggling in the Championship, put up a spirited fight, especially in the first half.
New signings Jin-Woo Jeon and Jamie Donley caused early problems for Sunderland, but keeper Robin Roefs kept them at bay. Later, Oxford’s stand-in goalie Matt Ingram made several fine saves to prevent further damage.
In the end, Sunderland held on comfortably to move closer to a potential trip to Wembley.
