Hartlepool United 0-1 Sunderland
Donald Love scored the game’s only goal as Sunderland produced a masterclass display to defeat Hartlepool United in the Checkatrade Trophy at Victoria Park.
The Black Cats were bright throughout as Josh Maja and Tom Beadling forced Adam Bartlett into action in an end to end first period.
Maja then thought he had made Sunderland’s pressure tell as he tapped home George Honeyman’s ball across the face of goal only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
The Lads dusted themselves down and while Tom Heardman failed to hit the target with a header from six yards for Hartlepool, Love profited as he made no mistake with his chance from 12 yards.
Good play from Maja saw him unselfishly square the ball to Love who was well placed to fire past Bartlett and hand Sunderland a slender advantage on 62 minutes.
Like Rochdale, Robbie Stockdale named a strong starting XI which included a blend of senior players - Billy Jones, Mika and Love - and youth players.
Having impressed in their opening Checkatrade Trophy game at the Crown Oil Arena, Sunderland began the game in better fashion and quickly forced their authority on the tie.
Jones and Love exploited the acres of space on the right flank with a number of crosses but were unable to cause any real danger on Pool’s rear-guard.
George Honeyman then warmed the hands of Adam Bartlett with a rasping drive across the box after Bartlett had tipped Ethan Robson’s free-kick off the head of Josh Maja.
Sunderland continued on the front foot and shortly after Rees Greenwood went on a mazy run as he came inside off the right flank, jinked his way through before Beadling sent a thunderous strike down Bartlett’s throat.
Hartlepool worked their way back into the game but George Brady and Michael Ledger dealt admirably with what the League Two outfit threw at them as Mika kept hold of Brad Walker’s effort on 38 minutes.
Minutes later Maja was then denied by Bartlett before he turned home Honeyman’s cross only for it to be ruled out for offside as the lads ended the first period in the same vain as they started the game.
The visitors raced out the blocks early in the second period and thought they had gone ahead when Maja tapped home Tommy Robson’s drilled cross only for the lineman to again rule his effort out for offside.
However, the game filtered into an end to end affair as Tom Heardman fired over at the back post and then missed a guilt-edged chance as he stole in unmarked and then failed to guide his header on target from six yards.
The pendulum then swung back in Sunderland’s favour as George Brady fed Maja who turned inside the area only to see protests for a penalty waved away as he hit the deck.
Maja dusted himself down though and moments later the forward fed Love who confidently side footed the ball past Bartlett.
From there on, wave after wave of attack crashed against the Black Cats backline as Billy Paynter header over before Beadling got caught under the ball and failed to clear his lines.
However, Sunderland weathered the storm and held firm to clinch their first ever win in the Checkatrade Trophy, courtesy of Love’s first goal for the club.
Hartlepool United: Bartlett, Featherstone, Paynter, Pollock, Hawkins (Walker, 7), Richards, Harrison, Laurent, Martin, Fewster (Orrell, 24), Heardman
Substitutes: Dudzinski, Deverdics, Green, Blackford, Richardson
Sunderland: Mika, Jones, Brady, Ledger (Lawson, 54), T Robson, E Robson, Love, Greenwood (Molyneux, 77), Honeyman, Maja, Beadling
Substitutes: Casey, Stryjek, Pybus, Wright, J Robson
