The Lads suffered their second consecutive home FA Premier Reserve defeat at Eppleton CW’s Hetton ground at the hands of Steve Davis’ Burnley. Interestingly enough that’s something which I don’t believe has happened previously at Hetton but whilst a defeat, it was a much improved performance despite the single goal reverse.

It was another young side but bolstered by the return of Carson, Madden, Weir and Cook who was allowed to play despite his loan to Darlo but he and Colin Todd et al will have wished he hadn’t after a bad first half injury saw him stretchered off. The squad was further bolstered by the welcome return of Nathan Luscombe on the bench, his first appearance since he was injured whilst playing for the reserves towards the end of last season.

The Lads lined up with Captain Kay reverting to his more accustomed right back role but Hourihane having to drop from midfield to his unaccustomed left back role. Cornforth and Madden partnered in central defence, Weir and Reed likewise in central midfield with apostrophic wingers in O’Donovan and O’Mahoney right and left. Cook and French youngster Tounkara led the line.

Burnley fielded one of the strongest sides to have visited Hetton and included Duff, Eckersley, Kalvanes, Rodriguez, Easton and former Maggie scumbag Edgar.

The opening chance fell Burnley’s way on six minutes, when Carson made an excellent block at the feet of Rodriguez. A minute later and the night could have been so much better for the Lads and in particular Jordan Cook, when the forward lifted the ball over keeper and in to the net only to be given offside.

If some thought that was the opener then I thought the next strike on goal was definitely in, as Reed unleashed a superb right foot volley from the apex of the box and it looked for all the world to be flying in before the keeper came out of no where to save.

Carson was again in action soon after as he saved well, low to his left from Rodriguez’s well directed header and on the quarter hour mark, the very impressive Rodriguez too easily beat Madden to set up strike partner Fletcher, but the latter slid in at the far post just too late.

Immediately at the other end, Tounkara broke into the box down the left hand side but bent it just round the far post although it must have taken an extra touch as a corner was given.

On seventeen minutes, O’Mahoney won a free kick just outside the box and Hourihane’s cleverly disguised free kick was well saved by the impressive Penny in the Claret’s goal. In fact his handling was so good all night I couldn’t find room anywhere for a poor, Penny dropped pun at all.

Just before the half hour mark, Robbie Weir should have given the lads the lead when he got on the end of O’Donovan’s good cross, having been set away by an even better Reed ball, but the Ulsterman failed to convert from close range.

Moments later Cook raced across to a ball down the right and as the Burnley defender shoved an arm out to screen the ball, it sent Jordan crashing to the ground awkwardly and it looked like he caught his studs in the grass and twisted his knee as he went down. It was immediately evident that he was in a lot of pain as wiry though he is; he’s a tough kid. The match was delayed by five minutes and Hubbuck came on for the Easington Lane lad who was stretchered off and Nathan Luscombe made a very welcome return to action, replacing Tounkara. O’Mahoney swapped the left for the right to accommodate Nath in his familiar left wing role whilst Hubbuck played up front with O’Donovan. I presume the Tounkara substitution was tactical although it may have been for him to try to find a pair of shorts that would fit. Perhaps some of M’Voto’s old ones would do?

A carbon copy of an earlier chance for Burnley occurred when again Madden was done for pace but this time it was Fletcher who crossed for Rodriguez who slid in just too late to open the scoring. Burnley continued to threaten, next breaking down the right and as the ball was intelligently cut back to the penalty spot, Rodriguez who had held his ground there whilst everyone else gravitated toward goal swung and shot but saw his effort pass wide when he should have at least hit the target.

Nathan did superbly down the left and put in a great cross for O’Donovan but his casual flick was well blocked by the keeper, although in truth the keeper should never have had a chance to do anything about it.

Yet more chances were created but poorly executed when O’Donovan tried to lift the ball over the advancing Penny which was a strange decision given he must have been about 6 feet 29. Moments later the busy O’Donovan looked like he’d finally beaten the keeper in a duplicate of the chance seconds earlier but having this time got the ball past the keeper his shot cannoned back off the left hand post and into play.

Three minutes of added time was displayed, which was strange given that the Cook injury stopped play for just over five minutes but I was left wishing it had only been one when Rodriguez superbly swapped passes with Fletcher and did what he’d constantly threatened to do, by stroking home with consummate ease past the exposed Carson. The on looking Owen Coyle must have been impressed by his young striker.

H/T 0-1

The second half eventually got underway when Burnley finally appeared; the PA announcer having to play Elevation about five times until they came out, we must be paying U2 a fortune in royalties, still they’ll be struggling and no doubt could do with the cash.

It took the best part of twenty minutes of the second period until there was a decent effort on goal, when Hubbuck spun and hit an ambitious but admittedly well struck effort from almost 30 yards but again such was the keeper’s frame, it was unlikely to beat him.

O’Mahoney had a shot, almost half an hour in, which took what looked like a deflection but must have been a redirection as the lino gave offside but moments later the lino thankfully put his flag back down after he initially flagged O’Donovan for being stood ‘offside’ only to realise he was staying inactive and the breaking Hubbuck raced clear only to see his shot well saved by Penny. O’Donovan did well to tee up Reed next for an excellent shot which again Penny was equal to whilst Carson pulled off a good parry from Guerro late on.

The game ended with confirmation that the fourth official’s digital board must indeed be stuck on three when the same number of minutes was added to the second period despite no injuries that had been added to the first despite Jordan’s injury.

Whilst disappointing to lose a second consecutive home match the lads probably deserved something out of the match for the number of chances they created but given the relative experience of the two sides a single goal defeat was no disgrace. I only hope that what looked like a bad injury to Jordan is much less serious than it initially appeared.

Full Time: Sunderland Reserves 0 – 1 Burnley Reserves

Sunderland: Carson, Kay, Hourihane, Reed, Madden, Cornforth, O’Donovan, Weir, Tounkara (Luscombe), Cook (Hubbuck), O’Mahoney (Ryan Noble).

Subs unused: Wilson, Young

Man of the Match: Had Rodriguez played in he second as well as he had in the first I have been forced to give him it as he was head and shoulders above. Thankfully he didn’t and whilst Nathan made a difference when he came on Adam Reed put in the best all round 90 minutes.

Attendance: 769

Dov