SUNDERLAND BOYS COME UP SHORT IN STERN TEST
With Sunderland Schoolboys having a free weekend due to receiving a bye to the quarter-finals of the Derwent and Medomsley Cup, an arranged friendly was on the cards, facing Hartlepool Schools Under-12s.
The Hartlepool game was to prove a stern test for the boys, as their counterparts are in the year above.
The last thing that the boys needed was to fall behind early in the game, but that is exactly what happened when they trailed after the first attack.
Goalkeeper Finley Robertson made an excellent save to deny the Hartlepool striker, but the ball fell to a team-mate and his scuffed shot took a deflection to wrong foot the unlucky Nathan Snowball, who couldn’t sort his feet out in time to keep the ball out and it rolled into an empty net.
The early pace of the game was electric and it caught out a number of the Sunderland players as it was faster than anything they had faced so far in the season.
To their credit, the boys stuck at it and slowly got a foot in the game, making tackles and using the ball intelligently when they won it back.
Hartlepool were largely restricted to long range efforts and the boys fashioned a couple of decent chances themselves going forward.
A very good move, found Bailey Corner on the edge of the Hartlepool box.
However, he fired his effort straight at the keeper.
On the stroke of half-time, Ryly Deehan failed to find a team mate when well placed on the right of the area and the chance fizzled out.
Inevitably, the pace of the game dropped in the second half, but it was still a fascinating, physical battle between two very good sides.
Sunderland battled manfully to restrict their opponents, but when Hartlepool did manage to breach the defence, in which Oliver Worthington and Snowball were excellent throughout.
They found Robertson in top form and he made three outstanding saves to keep his side in the game.
Evan Clark almost equalised when he burst into the box and fired in a lobbed effort which just cleared the crossbar.
The boys, who have been very strong on set pieces all season, passed up a good opportunity in the final minute when, with the box loaded with Sunderland players, Deehan failed to beat the first man with his corner and the danger was easily cleared.
Despite the game finishing 1-0 to their opponents, the boys can take a great deal of credit for a performance in which all 11 of them battled throughout and which will stand them in good stead for the remainder of the season.