Cats two steps from final after derby win
SUNDERLAND swept aside Newcastle United’s youngsters in a four-goal secondhalf rout to book their place in the Checkatrade Trophy quarter-finals.
After a tight first half with few chances, the Black Cats came out fired up after the interval with Jerome Sinclair rattling the woodwork immediately before Newcastle’s Kelland Watts turned Chris Maguire’s corner into his own net.
Just five minutes later Charlie Wyke nodded home from another Maguire corner.
And Maguire got in on the act himself inside the final quarter hour with an emphatic finish, before 18-year-old sub Benji Kimpioka added the icing on the cake five minutes from time.
This win in front of a crowd of more than 16,000 at the Stadium of Light – easily the highest in the competition this season – put Sunderland through to the last eight and leaves them potentially two games from the final at Wembley.
Jerome Sinclair replaced leading scorer Josh Maja up front, with Duncan Watmore returning to the side in place of Lynden Gooch, and Maguire starting instead of Aiden McGeady. Teenager Bali Mumba took Max Power’s place in midfield.
And Robbin Ruiter replaced Jon McLaughlin in goal, with Alim Ozturk coming in for Jack Baldwin in defence.
Jack Ross named a very young bench with no senior players amongst his subs.
Newcastle boss Ben Dawson named the same side that beat Sunderland’s U23s in Premier League 2 on Friday, with the exception of Nathan Harker taking Otto Huuhtanen’s place in goal.
Sunderland started strongly and penned the visitors back in their own half in the early stages.
They carved out a good chance on 13 minutes when Maguire whipped in a dangerous cross which was met by Wyke but his glancing header was saved.
The Black Cats won a series of corners and from one of those, Newcastle failed to clear their lines and when Tom Flanagan mis-kicked a shot it fell to Ozturk but he fired wide from just inside the box.
Newcastle belatedly began to come into the game and midway through the half Callum Roberts picked Dylan McGeouch’s pocket and drove the ball across the face of goal, but Adam Wilson was unable to connect six yards out.
A minute later, Roberts was causing problems again this time inside the area on the left but when he tried to beat Ruiter at his near post from a tight angle, the Dutchman turned the ball behind. Mumba had the ball in the net five minutes before the break but his effort was ruled out, with the linesman flagging the ball had already gone out.
But if Sunderland were unable to make their pressure tell in the first half, all that changed just after the break. Sinclair rattled the post from inside the box, with Newcastle scrambling the rebound out for a corner.
And from that set-piece taken by Maguire, Watts turned the ball into his own net to hand the Black Cats the lead on 47 minutes. Sunderland should have doubled their lead on 52 minutes when Wyke teed up Maguire but Liam Gibson got back to make a fine block and divert the ball behind for a corner.
But it offered only a moment’s respite as Wyke nodded home from another Maguire flag-kick. Sunderland were in total control and 12 minutes from time they added a third goal when McGeouch teed up Maguire and he smashed home. Sunderland were not done as Kimpioka beat Harker and a defender in the air to nod into an empty net for 4-0.
If Sunderland were unable to make their pressure tell in the first half, all that changed just after the break