Leeds United U23 3-3 Sunderland AFC U23
Sunderland Under-23s produced a sensational second-half comeback on Wednesday night to claim another point in the Premier League Cup group stage, coming from three goals down to draw 3-3 with Leeds United.
Crysencio Summerville’s first-half hat-trick roared Leeds into a convincing lead at the break at York’s LNER Community Stadium, despite numerous Sunderland chances going amiss.
Cieran Dunne capped an excellent performance with a goal just before the hour mark to tilt the momentum the way of the young Lads, before Caden Kelly capitalised on a defensive mistake to cut the deficit to one goal.
Ethan Kachosa then made it two goals in two games against his former club in the 90th minute with a tidy finish to wipe out the lead and keep Sunderland above Leeds in Group E of the competition.
With several players of both sides involved in first-team matters during the demanding winter months of the season, opportunities arose for some younger starlets.
Summerville’s three neat finishes showed great composure for Leeds, who gathered confidence from the initial opener after Dunne, Tom Scott and Ellis Taylor had both gone close to opening the scoring the other way.
A short and stern half-time message from Mike Dodds and Michael Proctor was certain to spur on the Black Cats – as potentially was the half-time withdrawal of Summerville and two of his first-team-bound teammates – and the pressure told as Dunne played a good exchange with Taylor to side-foot beyond Kristoffer Klaesson in the United goal.
With the lion’s share of the play being based in the Leeds half, confidence continued to grow and Kelly’s night of determined graft saw him rewarded with a goal, charging down a loose pass inside the area to arrow a strike into the far corner.
Sunderland by this point had their tails firmly up – Max Dean’s shot just off target on the counter and Jacob Carney’s denial of Sam Greenwood being Leeds’ standout late moments – and it was 3-3 in remarkable fashion in the final minute of normal time, Dunne’s neat through-ball picked up by Kachosa to stroke it beyond Klaesson, sending the full-back jubilant in front of his former supporters.
The young Lads will have a final group match to play against Wigan Athletic in the competition on February 14 at Eppleton, which could prove decisive as the knockout stages loom later in the season.
SUNDERLAND AFC U23: Carney; Kachosa, Younger ©, Xhemajli, Newall; Sohna, Scott; Dunne, Kelly, Dyce (Johnson 46’); Taylor.
Subs not used: McIntyre, Jones, Gyimah.