Sunderland U18s 1-1 Oldham Athletic U18s
safc.com’s Sam Lightle delivers in insight into the action that unravelled in the youth team’s second pre-season friendly.
SUMMARY
Oldham Athletic capitalised on lax defending in the closing stages to earn a draw at the Academy of Light on Saturday. Sunderland’s Fergus McAughtrie fired the hosts in front, slipping down the left flank to round off a neat move. Tiredness came into the young Black Cats’ legs, though, and the Latics made them pay in the closing stages with a neat move ending with a glancing header.
TRIAL AND ERROR
Mark Atkinson used the match as a chance to give several trialists the chance to impress. Jacob Young and Kane Evans featured in defence alongside a makeshift back five. Elsewhere, Jack Connolly continued to clock more minutes in the tank after missing a large chunk of last season.
POSITIVE TRACKS
The hosts were fast of the mark and quickly set about pinning Oldham Athletic back. Atkinson’s side played with a real zip about them, moving the ball with a patient, yet high intensity as they looked to pull the Latics out of position. Chances were aplenty in the lads’ bright start and with less than 20 minutes on the clock they made a break breakthrough. Again, patient build-up inside their own half was played forward at the perfect time. Centre-back Jacob Young spotted the movement of Sonny Best, who moved deep into a pocket of space just inside the left channel. Best immediately spun on the ball before slipping it through to McAughtrie who was already on his bike after reading the situation. Oldham’s stopper managed to get a finger to the flying winger’s venomous strike across goal but it wasn’t enough to prevent it rippling the net.
BOUNCE BACK
It was a goal that was meant to give the lads the springboard to go on and win the game, but Oldham refused to lie down. If anything, the Latics made the perfect response and quickly took the sting out of the lads’ play by knocking the ball from side to side. While the visitors rarely troubled them, Atkinson’s side were left frustrated as Oldham’s physical and robust approach left the Black Cats with plenty to overcome.
UP TO SPEED
Sunderland began the second period a polar opposition of how they opened the match. However, the lads dug deep, making life difficult for the visitors who were unable to capitalise on their sluggish start. The Black Cats grew into the match as the half wore on and carved out a host of goalscoring chance, but tiredness and fatigue became a huge factor as the Latics struck back to deal the lads a late blow. Lax defending cost Atkinson’s side at the end as the lads failed to deal with a cross from the left which was swung in to be headed home.
Sunderland under-18s starting XI: Trailist, Evans (Howard, 60), Trialist, Trialist (Trialist, 45), Young (Trialist, 70), Connolly (Hickey, 60), Lilley (Scothern, 60), Leonard, McAughtrie (Devine, 60), Best, Dunne (Slack, 60).