The lad’s latest reserve outing at Hetton saw the Smoggies arrive to sample strange concepts they’d only previously heard of like, crowds, atmosphere and breathable air and what’s more, Julio was back. I have it on good authority that he told Gareth Sproutface on Saturday morning that despite travelling, he could feel a bit of a post injury twinge so he best sit out the Reading match and get another ressie match under his belt... the tugging must have been your heart strings for your spiritual home Julio, its nowt to do with medial knee ligaments. The things the guy will do to get a run out in front of proper fans. Bless him.

Dwight Yorke donned the revolving captaincy armband and the lads lined up with Robbie Weir at right back (while strangely Michael Kay warmed the bench), Hartley moved across to left back to accommodate Pelter, whilst O’Donovan and Murphy provided the width – well I say provided the width it was more a case of it looking like that’s where they had been told to play really.

The Smoggies kicked off top of the table although I’m told the authorities have considered drugs testing for this anomaly but apparently all the chemical inhalations in smogland make the results unreliable. The visitors looked the sharper outfit in the early exchanges. Julio dropped deep to try to control the middle of the park and their youthful side looked too energetic for our older lads in the centre of the park early doors. However, as the first half wore on and clear cut chances were at a premium Yorkie and Kav started to boss the game.

Our first chance came just after the quarter hour when Martyn Waghorn robbed Bennett but shot wide of the mark. Yorke and Kavanagh combined well in the twentieth minute and the former’s shot crossed the whole of the face of the goal but there was no one there to get the simplest of touches to convert it.

Kavanagh’s next contribution was a scything challenge on Joshua Walker and deservedly went in the book although he won’t have been thanking O’Donovan who moments earlier showed poor control to allow Walker to gain possession.

Equally poor defending led to the opening goal after a Sunderland corner was initially overplayed past the back post and then returned again with too much distance only for a Boro defender to get snow on it but no horizontal distance and as the ball dropped on the edge of the box, Dwight arrowed it in past a helpless Steele.

The Boro players didn’t appreciate the lads taking the lead and for a few minutes after the goal the game got tastier than an ALS T-Shirt model as Kav and Yorke in particular started to stroke it around with good tempo and control.

Kavanagh then saw his direct free kick hit the side netting after a poor challenge on Wags by Sebastardian ‘Tourettes’ Hines who spent the entire first half directing foul language at the referee, linesmen, his team mates and anyone else who happened to be in earshot, which was pretty much everyone in a five mile radius. Boro’s German defender Jabba the Huth then hit a free kick just wide from 20 yards.

Excellent interplay between Connolly and Kavanagh set up Roy O’Donovan for our second goal which Boro keeper Jason Steele did well to save at first but Roy cleverly dinked the rebound over the prostrate keeper high into the net.

Boro had two good chances just minutes before the break. The first saw Herold Goulon jink past several Sunderland players and wallop the ball from a good 20 yards just over the far post. The second was even closer when the impressive Walker, lucky to still be walking after Kav’s challenge smacked the ball against the far post only for it rebound out to safety.

Half time: 2-0

Boro picked up where they had left off at the end of the first half with Walker in particular standing out. He steered a 20 yard effort just past the junction of post and bar, five minutes in, after good work by Owens.

Waghorn bent a similar effort just past the far post moments later but most of Sunderland’s second half had me on the edge of my, well consciousness. I wasn’t sure whether we took our foot off the gas, something smoggies probably aren’t used to, or that we just didn’t have anything else to give although the strong swirling wind didn’t encourage good football. In the last 25 minutes Trevor Carson after having done very little for the first 65 wrestled the man on the match award away from our two experienced central midfielders by making a string of fine saves and blocks including a particularly brave dive at the feet of Hutchinson .

Full Time: Sunderland Reserves 2-0 Small Town in Yorkshire Reserves – hasta la victoria, Julio

Sunderland: Carson, Weir, Hartley, Kavanagh, Donoghue, Pelter, O’Donovan, Yorke cpt (Henderson), Connolly, Waghorn, Murphy (Dowson),

Subs unused: Kay, (J) Richardson, Chandler

Man of the Match: Trevor Carson

Attendance: 826

Dov