The lads slipped to their third successive home defeat in an entertaining match against the world richest club in the FA Premier Reserve League. Manchester City won by the odd goal in five in a sea-sawing game, at Eppleton CW’s Hetton home, in which the visitors took the lead; then the lads went ahead only to se City rally late to claim all three points. It was harsh on the young Sunderland side.

The Lads lined up with Captain Kay and David Brown (available after suspension) playing full back, and Madden and Cornforth in central defence. Ben Wood made his full home debut for the reserves on the right with Nathan Luscombe still making his way back to full fitness after a long injury on the opposite flank. Adam Reed and Conor Hourihane played centre midfield with Adam Noble supporting just behind his namesake Ryan.

The best early chance fell to the captain, Kay, who just seemed to lean back a little too much as he slammed the ball against the crossbar after good work down the left flank by Luscombe and Brown.

On eight minutes City’s left back, Cunningham, made a good burst toward the box and with the benefit of a lucky bounce found himself on the edge of the box with just the keeper to beat but thankfully it was a defender’s finish and the ball rolled wide of the far post.

Ben Wilson in the Sunderland goal, also making his full home reserve debut having already collected a high ball well when under pressure came out and showed that he was as competent with his feet making an excellent and brave sliding tackle in the right back zone from city’s left winger. Indeed Wilson had a very promising game despite the three goals and demonstrated excellent vocal instructions, cross handling and command of his area.

Just before the quarter hour mark the lads won a free kick deep in City territory and quick thinking from Adam ‘Nobsa’ Noble saw him slide the ball out to the alert Luscombe who’s cross was ‘passed’ at pace towards goal by Hourihane but the keeper got enough on it to block, but just as it appeared to have enough on it to loop over him and into the net, a City defender did superbly to acrobatically clear the effort off the line.

The game flowed end to end and both sides played entertaining football but there was a lack of clear-cut chances in the first period. Some ‘Noble’ interplay saw Nobsa slide a ball through to Ryan, who shimmied well, wrong footing the defender but just as he was about to pull the trigger the defender, Warbara who was lucky to be on the pitch after a bad foul on Noble, made an excellent blocking tackle to see the ball go out for a corner.

A few minutes before the break Ben Wood put in an excellent fizzing cross after a brave challenge by Hourihane and slide rule pass from Nobsa, but the danger was cleared.

H/T: 0-0

Whilst the game had been entertaining throughout the first half it burst in goal scoring action early in the second. The visitors should have taken the lead five minutes in but the chance was headed narrowly wide by the highly impressive Poole, after a good build up. It was a warning but one that the Lads couldn’t react to. Cornforth gave away a poor free-kick whilst fouling the City striker and yet still managing to get beaten on the turn and end up wrong side of his man. From the resultant dead ball, David Ball scored as he appeared to mis-hit his shot from 12 yards and it looped in high over the keeper and just under the bar. Very fortunate.

The Lads immediately stepped it up and first Reed had a shot from outside the box that drifted over the bar before Ryan Noble grabbed his first of the night getting on to the end of a good through ball from his namesake but still with a lot to do he flicked out his right boot to clip it just past the keeper into the net. It was a brave finish too as he saw keeper and defender converge on him quickly. Two minutes later and the lads had taken the lead after O’Mahoney, who had replaced the injured Wood, ran with power and pace right at the City defence and set up Noble well. Ryan looked from my angle to be touch and go for offside but he’s so fast I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and the Lads were in front.

The Lads looked like they may well force another goal and Ryan returned the favour to O’Mahoney minutes later but the winger slashed at it and saw it spoon away into the Hetton Posse behind the goal.

Michael Kay made a good overlap down the right and flashed a ball across the face of goal but no one could get on the end of it and after more pressure Nobsa blazed one uncharacteristically over the bar. John Egan made his home debut coming on for Dan Madden in the centre of defence but unfortunately we almost immediately conceded an equaliser when failing to clear our lines.

It always felt like there was a winner to come and it was a toss of a coin who would grab it. It looked like Ryan Noble was about to do it when he did a fine impression of Graeme Sharp at Anfield (am I showing my age there) holding the ball up excellently and then turning suddenly, hitting a glorious shot across to the far post but unfortunately just the wrong side of the post. It would have been a hell of a way to grab a hat-trick. Ryan then had another chance when through on goal and arguably was the easiest of the lot but dragged a poor effort wide of the left hand post which had a look of tiredness of someone who had given his all for the cause.

The fact that City grabbed a winner in such an even game was hard enough to take but the fact that the referee got it completely wrong in a game which generally he controlled very well made it al the more disappointing. Michael Kay slid into a challenge and won the ball only to be caught late by the City winger. The ref must have seen something completely different because as everyone reacted as if they thought the decision would go the other way the ref pointed in the contrary direction and as City pushed up applied more pressure, credit to David Ball who needed no invitation to punish he hesitancy in the home defence for his second of the match and indeed the winner.

Full Time: Sunderland Reserves 2 – 3 Manchester City Reserves

Sunderland: Ben Wilson, Kay, Brown, Reed, Madden (Egan), Cornforth, Ben Wood (O’Mahoney), Liam Noble (Adams), Ryan Noble, Hourihane, Luscombe,

Subs unused: Pickford, Hubbuck

Man of the Match: I’ll give it to Ryan Noble not just for two goals but his endless effort although Ben Wilson made a very promising home debut in goal.

Attendance: 556

Dov