YOUNGSTERS FALL TO AGONISING FINAL LOSS
SUNDERLAND UNDER-17S JUST MISS OUT IN DRAMATIC DURHAM COUNTY PLATE FINAL
Sunderland Under-16/17s lost in agonising fashion in the final of the Durham County Plate at Hartlepool on Sunday.
The youngsters were squeezed out 24-22 by Gateshead in a pulsating match which went to the wire.
Coach Tony Hodgson hailed the Ashbrooke team’s “gutsy, never-say-die performance”, laying the foundations for a talented Colts side next season.
Sunderland Under-13s claimed seven first-half tries as they blitzed Bishop Auckland 55-15 at The Limes.
Tormentor-in-chief Zak Kennedy ran in five tries as a rampant Sunderland ran out comfortable winners.
The Wearsiders started strongly, with Kennedy and full-back Vincent Hessel testing the Bishop defence with surging runs.
Hessel powered over for a hat-trick of troes on either side of the interva;, following a debut try from winger Dinoshan Ratneswaran.
Sunderland added more pace to their game, led by Russell Chapman-Smith and powerful running prop James Docherty, and hooker David Matlock barrelled over for a score, before Number 8 Adam Williams capped a sweeping team move, driving over for the final try in stoppage time.
Year 8 rugby hopefuls David Matlock, Josh Jobling (Sunderland RFC and Southmoor) Russell ChapmanSmith, James Marshall, Zak Kennedy (Sunderland RFC and St Aidan’s) and Adam Williams (Sunderland RFC and Farringdon) have all been shortlisted for the Durham Pathway Programme (Falcons) North Knights Squad.
The players, based at Ashbrooke, will train and play alongside some of the county’s rugby brightest talents, representing the north of Durham.
At senior level, a first league win of 2017 and a stirring second-half comeback have fired Sunderland’s first XV with optimism as they host Whitby this Saturday (3pm kick-off ).
The seventh-placed Durham and Northumberland Division Two side claimed a stirring 41-33 win on the road to Ashington and aim to push on, with the season’s end looming and their final home game at Ashbrooke.
Club chairman Paul Geehan said: “The team showed real determination and effort and it really was a remarkable comeback. considering the first-half deficit.”