Sunderland U18s 6-0 Gateshead
safc.com’s Sam Lightle analyses the youth team’s first outing in pre-season.
SUMMARY
Sunderland under-18s got their pre-season off to a winning start this afternoon when they breezed past Gateshead at the Academy of Light.
Connor Slack scored a brace while Robbie Dunne, Ryan Leonard, Sonny Best and Jack Connolly added further goals to round off a silky-smooth display in their first run out since the end of last season.
Mark Atkinson welcomed a host of new faces to his side this afternoon as he continues to mould his squad for the 2017-18 U18 Premier League season.
WHAT WOUD WE DO?
The new-look youth team was without Chris Allan, Adam Bale and Michael Woud who completed their scholarships at the end of last season. Meanwhile, second-year scholars Jake Hackett, Benji Kimpioka and Jack Diamond have featured largely in the development team’s plans.
GOALS GALORE
Sunderland began the afternoon on the front foot and were soon ahead after some incisive play. Best collected the ball in an advanced area and then swiftly found Leonard who immediately spotted Dunne’s powered run. The forward did the rest, clinically slipping the ball home to notch his and the youth team’s first goal of the new season. In the blink of an eye Leonard made it 2-0, with Atkinson’s high press tactic again paying dividends. Jordan Hickey seized possession in the final third and found Fergus McAughtrie on the left flank who did well to pull the ball back to Leonard from the left for him to stick home. The Black Cats were flying, confidently knocking the ball around and patiently waiting for their moment to strike as Gateshead seemed content to stand off and allow the Lads to play. Hickey and McAughtrie combined for a second time to add a third, linking up on the left with a neat one-touch move before Best tapped home ahead of the midway interval.
NO SLACK-ING OFF
Sunderland picked up where they left off after the break, remaining on the front foot and working the ball confidently from side to side. Slack headed home his first of the afternoon and the Lads’ fourth after an impressive passing move. McAughtrie whipped in a pin-point cross from the left and Slack floated into space before powering his header into the top corner. It was nothing more than Slack deserved for his robust and physical efforts. The introduction of Sam Greenwood also caught the eye. A mazy run from Greenwood saw him ghost past a host of Gateshead players before finding Slack to slip home a fifth. As the half wore on there, Greenwood continued to impress with gutsy runs that oozed guile, effortlessly gliding past Gateshead players and with so much vengeance which helped him add a sixth. A well-placed pull-back from the flying right-winger into the path of Connolly was left by Slack and the Irishman found the bottom corner.
Sunderland under-18s starting XI: Patterson, Evans, Howard, Young, Devine, Leonard, Hickey, Trialist, McAughtrie, Best, Dunne.