Woking is not where you would want to be, ever, but particularly when the ressies are playing at home in a game against Everton and you should be there cheering them on. But hey I’ve gotta earn a living so I resigned myself to a night spent in a hotel with less atmosphere than a Middlesbrough match, cheering on Manchester United in their match against Bolton given that the Trotters appear to be one of our few genuine hopes to save our first team from the drop.

So the Lads played out a goalless draw in their penultimate reserves match of the season against a youthful Everton side, at Eppleton's ground in Hetton in a game of few chances. Stephen Wright wore the armband as the lads lined up in a 4-5-1 formation with Stokes the loan man up front and Henderson and Dennehy playing down the flanks.

Anthony Stokes, returning from illness, regularly tested the visitors defence with shots early on in the game. After 15 minutes he controlled the ball well and chipped it over the centre back’s head but when show boating for a second chip found the defence wise to his plans and was robbed before he could shoot.

The Lads looked solid in defence again with M'Voto and Higginbotham winning everything in the air and Dennehy repeatedly feeding the ball into Everton's box but all to little avail. Just after the half hour mark, Wright broke down the wing and played Henderson in well but after good initial work, he pulled the ball back to precisely no-one and disappointingly that was pretty much it for the first half.

H/T: 0-0

Early in the second half, Wright played in Dennehy but he shot wide of the mark. As Dennehy continued to threaten Everton resorted to more brutal ways of stopping the young Irishman, chopping him down on a number of occasions. Stokes had the next opportunity, turning smartly but putting the ball wide of the mark. Both full backs then had shots from just outside the box but neither Wrighty nor Hartey were accurate enough to trouble the Everton goalkeeper.

M'Voto then collected his second yellow in successive games for quite frankly who knows what. Harte was replaced by youngster Nathan Luscombe just after the hour mark, which meant Dennehy dropped back to left back which was disappointing given he had been our most productive player of the night.

Higgy and Henderson then combined and the latter beat his marker and was unlucky to see his shot blocked by the visitors defence and that turned out to be Jordan's last attacking input as he was replaced by Cook, who played up front to give a more traditional 4-4-2 formation. With twenty minutes to go came one of the few notable moments of the match when Darren Dennehy, brother of Billy, playing at centre back for the visitors, got sent off. Weir had played Cook in and he was pulled back not once but twice, yet the referee inexplicably pulled play back to the original foul and sent Dennehy off for the offence. Stokes struck the free kick over the wall but the keeper saved low down and Cook was outmuscled for the follow up.

The best burst of the match came from young Nath when he collected the ball from just inside Everton's half and ran with pace directly at Everton's defence but he just over-ran when taking on the final defender and Everton's keeper managed to clear the danger.

Sunderland dominated the game but with just Stokes up front, found it difficult to penetrate and could probably have utilised the on looking David Dowson to good effect had he not been present in a supporting capacity whilst on loan at Chesterfield.

Sunderland Reserves 0 - 0 Everton Reserves

Sunderland: Carson, Wright, Harte (Luscombe), Weir, M'Voto, Higginbotham, Henderson (Cook), Chandler, Miller Dennehy, Stokes

Unused subs: Hunter, Donoghue, Pelter

Man of the Match: M'Voto just pips Chandler

Attendance: 803

Facts: Michael Hall, Words: Dov