Name: Lamine Kone
Position: Defender
Lamine Kone of Sunderland is carried by team-mate Younes Kaboul of Sunderland after scoring his side’s third goal – Photo: Simon Stacpoole/Offside.
The Black Cats once again pulled off the great escape this term, ensuring another season of Premier League football, and it was their Ivory Coast powerhouse that grabbed Shoot’s Player of the Month award for May.
Sunderland went into the month in a precarious position in the table, knowing that all they could do is win their games and hope the rest of the pack around them slip up.
The month started with an incredible 3-2 win at home to former champions Chelsea, where Sunderland came from behind twice to snatch three massive points.
Sam Allardyce’s team secured their safety for another campaign a few days later, crushing Everton 3-0 at the Stadium of Light – with Kone netting twice and putting in a commanding display against Everton’s Romelu Lukaku to help his team keep a clean sheet.
