Sunderland under-18s were left disappointed on Saturday afternoon as Blackburn Rovers secured only their third league win of the season.
The U18 Premier League basement club moved onto double points for the season with a 3-1 victory over the Black Cats on home soil.
Kyle Connell put Rovers in front on six minutes before Jack Vale was on hand to double the hosts’ lead six minutes later.
From there the Black Cats faced an uphill task before Vale turned home his second of the afternoon shortly before the hour mark from the penalty spot.
Connor Slack reduced the arrears 11 minutes from time off Sam Greenwood’s assist but it proved too little too late to mount a comeback, despite creating a host of chances throughout the afternoon.
The result sees Mark Atkinson’s side remain eighth in the league and with two games in hand on Newcastle United who sit one place and one point above them.
Sunderland U18: Woud, Devine (Scothern, 65), Kokolo, Edmundsson, Howard, Leonard, Lilley (Dunne, 65), Derbali, Neill, Greenwood, Slack (Best, 91)
Subs: Patterson, Evans