Elliott Dickman heralded his side’s efforts after they came from behind to defeat Tottenham Hotspur at Eppleton CW.
Ethan Robson and Denver Hume both scored in the second-half to turn the Premier League 2 fixture on its head after Kazaiah Sterling had given Spurs the lead.
The lads were tenacious throughout, with Lynden Gooch providing glimpses of quality in the opening period as Sunderland sought an early goal.
But Sterling dealt the Black Cats a blow when he seized on Oliver Skipp’s header and pounced to slot past an on rushing Robbine Ruiter.
Sunderland showed encouraging signs in the second period, though, levelling the match with 69 minutes played through Robson before Hume dragged his left-footed effort into the bottom corner to win it in the closing stages.
Speaking post-match, Dickman shared his thoughts on an opening day win.
“It was good to get a win and in the second half our performance was smashing,” he said.
“We scored two good goals and managed to win the game. I’m pleased because in the first half we didn’t make it hard enough for them.
“But we showed a great response after the break and the players really worked their way back into it which was great to see.
“It is a credit to their attitude to do what we have asked them to do,” he continued. “We got back into the game and we played some good football at the same time.
“There were a lot of senior players in the team tonight and they helped the younger players out.
“That’s what it is all about and it is fantastic that they are exposed to the senior players”