Dyce rolls in equaliser to rescue point for Cats
SUNDERLAND U23 1 MANSFIELD TOWN U23 1
TYRESE Dyce salvaged a point for Sunderland U23 against Mansfield Town as the Black Cats climbed off the foot of Group E in the Premier League Cup.
Sunderland were the better side throughout, but trailed to Josh Scott’s goal just before the hour.
Dyce levelled for the Wearsiders midway through the second half, but despite fashioning a series of chances they were unable to complete the turnaround at Eppleton.
A point apiece was enough to lift both Sunderland and Mansfield above Leeds United, who are now bottom of the group, although the Yorkshire side have a game in hand of both.
Wigan top the group with nine points, Mansfield and Sunderland are second and third with four points and the Stags above the Black Cats on goal difference, and Leeds have three points. Michael Proctor and Mike Dodds’ Sunderland side included three players who have been on the bench at first-team level in recent weeks, with Ollie Younger, Benji Kimpioka, and Cieran Dunne all starting.
The Black Cats dominated the first half and, while clear-cut chances were few and far between, they carved out the better opportunities.
Stephen Wearne brought a good save out of Louie Turner inside the first three minutes, with the Stags keeper pushing the ball round the post after Wearne had worked space to shoot inside the box.
Kimpioka drove a free-kick from just outside the box into the Mansfield wall, while just after the halfhour Dyce had a shot blocked inside the six-yard area when the ball was cut back into his path.
Mansfield had a couple of chances, with Keaton Ward firing over the bar after James Gale’s initial shot had been blocked on the line following a corner, and then Tyrese Sinclair sent a long-range free-kick straight at Jack McIntyre, who made a routine save.
Sunderland should have gone in front within a couple of minutes of the second half getting under way when Dyce teed up Wearne six yards out, but he somehow sent his shot over the bar.
But instead it was the visitors who took the lead on 57 minutes, as a low cross from the right was finished at the near post by Scott, with keeper McIntyre given no chance.
Kimpioka then had a fantastic chance to level within two minutes when Wearne’s square pass found him unmarked inside the area just to the left of centre.
He controlled the ball and tried to bend his shot inside the far post, but centre-back Richard Nartey got back to head off the line.
Sunderland did get the goal they deserved on 66 minutes, when Dunne’s cross from the left was headed down by Dyce at the far post and, after a scramble, Dyce forced the ball home from close range.
Tom Scott saw a shot from the edge of the box saved at the second attempt by Turner, but Sunderland were unable to apply any sustained pressure in the final 15 minutes.
And they almost threw the game away in injury time when Mansfield sub Jack Deakin raced to the edge of the box, but his powerful shot was beaten away by McIntyre.
SUNDERLAND U23: McIntyre, Kachosa, Jessup, Younger, Dunne, Scott, Wilding, Dyce, Sohna, Kimpioka, Wearne (Steels 72). Subs not used: Carney, Kelly, Johnson, Newall. Booked: Kimpioka, Younger, Kachosa. MANSFIELD TOWN U23: Turner, Anderson, Nartey, Collins, Burke, Ward, Carter, Caine (Kruszyski 73), Gale (Deakin 66), Sinclair (Bouch 90), Scott. Subs not used: Avery, Whelan. Booked: Scott, Sinclair, Burke, Nartey, Carter. Referee: Matthew Dicicco (North Yorkshire). Attendance: 145.