Prudhoe United 0-2 Sunderland U23
Jordan Hickey scored twice as Sunderland under-23s defeated Prudhoe United to lift the Bob Stokoe Shield.
After a goalless opening period, Hickey seized control of the tie by scoring twice in the second 45 to see the Black Cats retain the trophy a day prior to the 45th anniversary of Sunderland’s famous FA Cup win at Wembley.
THE SHIELD
Played in honour of Sunderland’s 1973 FA Cup winning manager, Bob Stokoe, the Black Cats compete with Stokoe’s hometown club, Prudhoe, for the shield in an annual event played at the end of each season. With club ambassador and cup winning stopper Jim Montgomery in attendance alongside the chairman of Sunderland’s supporters association, George Forster, and Stokoe’s family, the 2018 shield was played in bright sunlight a day before the 45th anniversary of Sunderland’s famous win at Wembley against Leeds United.
TURNING UP THE HEAT
And so, to the action. The hosts looked comfortable for the best part of the opening 15 minutes as they kept Sunderland at arm’s length, winning a corner and applying some pressure onto the visitors’ backline. But if ever there was a reason for the cliché ‘patience is key’, then this was it as it took the Black Cats 20 minutes to really get going. Their first opening came when Ryan Leonard controlled a neat chip with his chest. The right winger peeled off the flank to receive Kane Evan’s clipped ball before seeing his effort blocked by the on-rushing Prudhoe stopper. Fergus McAughtrie made a late dart for the loose ball at the back stick but was ushered out for a goal kick.
GOALLESSS AT THE BREAK
Despite a flurry of chances the scores remained deadlocked, with Anthony Patterson flumbling a free-kick off the bobbled turf and relying on midfielder Jordan Hickey to hack clear deep into his own penalty area to relieve the pressure. Leonard then failed to make contact on a floated cross from the left before Slack was flagged offside as he moved in behind to latch onto a ball over the top.
IN A FLASH
The start of the second 45 was the complete opposite to the first. Hickey danced his way through the Prudhoe backline and touched past the on-rushing stopper with little over a minute played of the second period to give the lads the lead. From there, Sunderland were in control of the tie and looked in good fettle to retain the shield after last year’s 6-0 victory. McAughtrie fired over from just inside the area as Prudhoe’s luminous orange tops lit up the pitch as the sun began to dip behind the trees.
AT THE DOUBLE
Hickey struck home his second of the evening to tie things up. Rayed Derbali produced an acrobatic bicycle kick off a free-kick from the right. And while the towering defender miscued his attempt away from goal, the ball bounced kindly for Hickey to profit and he calmly rolled home to double the lads’ lead in Northumberland to secure the win with 15 minutes to play.
Sunderland U23s starting XI: Patterson, Evans, McAughtrie, Derbali, Edmundsson, Hickey, Connolly, Devine, Leonard, Best, Slack.