Sunderland U23s 0-3 Fulham U23s
Sunderland under-23s lost out 3-0 to Fulham under-23s at the Academy of Light on Sunday afternoon.
Goals from Luca De La Torre and Cameron Thompson put the Cottagers in the driving seat at the break.
The Lads started brightly after the interval and went close to halving the deficit late on when Andrias Edmundsson nodded wide.
But Martel Taylor-Crossdale rounded off the scoring 10 minutes from time to seal all three points in the Premier League 2 for the visitors.
Elliott Dickman included two trialists in attack, with Tyler Hamilton and William Harris supporting Joe Hugill.
Benji Kimpioka was also included on the substitutes bench for the clash with ninth placed Fulham.
It was almost a nightmare start for the young Black Cats when Tyrese Francois hit a fine volley that struck the crossbar, and there was another let off in the ninth minute when Anthony Patterson blocked from Thompson.
Fulham’s pressure did pay off soon after though, and they took the lead when Thompson dispossessed Edmundsson and squared for De La Torre, who slotted home.
And on the half hour mark Thompson got his rewards and made it 2-0.
His initial effort deflected off the bar and just as it looked like the ball went to safety, the number nine prodded home from close-range.
The Lads fashioned their best chance of the first-half deep into injury time when Hugill laid off Cieran Dunne, but the winger shot straight at Damian Las.
Kimpioka was introduced midway through the second-half as the Lads looked to get back in the game.
But it was Taylor-Crossdale, the Fulham substitute, who sealed the points in the 81st minute when he prodded home, after good work by Cody Drameh down the right.
The result means Fulham stay ninth and Sunderland 12th in Division 2 of the under-23 Premier League.
Sunderland U23s: Patterson, Mumba (Evans 85), Gamble, Sammut, Taylor, Edmundsson, Dunne (Greenwood 87), Hackett, Hugill, Harris (Kimpioka 64), Hamilton
Subs not used: Abdelkader, Connolly
Fulham U23s: Las, Drameh, Fossey, O’Riley, Asare, Jens, Carvalho (Davis 76), Francois, Thompson (Taylor-Crossdale 68), De Havilland (Harris 80), De La Torre
Subs not used: Palacios, Harris
