Sunderland U17 3-0 South Shields
Sunderland under-17s edged to a comfortably victory over South Shields this afternoon at a windswept Academy of Light.
Playing a mixture of under-16 and first-year scholars, Mark Atkinson’s side had to wait until the second 45 to get their noses in front when Sam Greenwood clipped a delicious strike over the visitors’ stopper.
Cole Kiernan then came off the bench to score a brace as the young Black Cats secured victory over their neighbours.
SCENESETTER
With no match this weekend, Atkinson took the opportunity to utilise some of the young faces in his squad as South Shields made the short journey to Sunderland’s training base. Anthony Patterson, an under-18 regular, featured between the sticks while Harrison Devine and Kane Evans occupied the full-back berths. Tom Scothern and Joseph Lilley orchestrated play in the middle of the park while towering duo Connor Slack and Greenwood led the line on a sun-drenched, yet bitterly cold, afternoon on Wearside.
LITTLE IN IT
The opening half left little to choose between either side. Sunderland looked the better of the two teams in possession, but it was the visitors who fashioned the opening two efforts of the half. Patterson equal to both as Shields’ left full-back tried his luck from range. Greenwood was kept largely quite in the opening period, lifting a free-kick marginally wide of the mark on 34 minutes after Slack had been brought down as he attempted to power his way through. Three minutes later Greenwood drew the first stop from the Shields keeper, arrowing a thunderous strike towards goal which required him to help it round the post.
SAM’S THE MAN!
While the opening half finished as a goalless stalemate, the Black Cats didn’t have to wait long to find an opener after the restart. Just five minutes in, Greenwood applied the perfect touch to make it 1-0. Playing a neat one-two on the edge of the box, the young striker then clipped the ball over Shields’ stopper and into the back of the net.
COLE DOUBLE
It was just the settler Sunderland needed, and it wasn’t long before it was 2-0. Only just on as a substitute, replacing Slack up top, Kiernan was slipped through one-on-one and he composed himself before guiding the ball with the inside of his right boot into the left corner. Fergus McAughtrie then clipped the outside of the right post after a mazy run before Kiernan got his second, bringing a cross from the right under control, spinning and then arrowing his strike into the same corner as his first. Game over.
Sunderland U17: Patterson, Devine, Howard, Riyad, Evans, Trialist, Leonard, Scothern, Lilley, Slack, Greenwood.