Sunderland’s pre season campaign would end disastrously as we were battered away to Hartlepool 5-2. The game was surprisingly boring, Sunderland looked tired and directionless with no striker and a lack of physicality beyond the back line proved costly due to Hartlepool’s blistering counter attacks.
More often than not the goals scored by the home side were due to mistakes made by Sunderland rather than anything special being produced, which could be taken as a worrying sign considering the season starts this Sunday.
Chris Weh gave the home side the lead after just three minutes. That lead lasted 10 minutes when Alex Pritchard found the net from a nice free kick. Two goals in quick succession by Anthony Mancini regained Hartlepool the lead halfway into the first half.
After the break Jewison Bennette halved the deficit but the comeback wasn’t on as another two goals within less than five minutes of each other by Emmanuel Dieseruvwe (a penalty) and Joe Grey finalised the score at 5-2.
Niall Huggins slipped over early on and gave the ball away. The initial shot was prevented by a tackle from the Welshman but the waiting Chris Weh on the left side fired it into the right corner to make it 1-0. A shot from outside the box towards the bottom left corner, was saved low by Matt Young.
Lynden Gooch was then fouled outside the box. Alex Pritchard successfully capitalised on the free kick, firing it wonderfully into the left side of the goal to equalise the score line.
Young was forced into a save by coming off his line, saving a low shot on the left-hand side. He collided with a man in red and white and the Hartlepool attacked and had to get some treatment.
A Hartlepool player was given a free run, he passed into a man in the box. He flicked it on and Mancini buried it powerfully past Young into the left side to restore the lead.
Mancini was practically gifted a brace straight from the restart after we gave the ball away. He ran down the centre of the pitch and once again buried it into the left corner to double the advantage.
Sunderland would have an attempt of their own. Ellis Taylor flicked the ball to Abdoullah Ba, Ba skipped forward passed it back to Taylor. His shot was deflected off the goalkeeper and out for a corner. Triantis fired over from corner unfortunately.
Ba was involved in the action again. He crossed to Bennette in the box. His shot was blocked and Pritchard couldn’t get his head on the rebound.
Hartlepool had a free kick on the right side of the box, after it was cleared away Pritchard broke away. Chris Rigg was found and then sent a cross over everyone and out for a throw.
There was another free kick to Hartlepool, this time on the left side, it was headed clear a shot was then blocked and sent wide of the left post.
At half time Hartlepool led 3-1.
Ba took too long to shoot and was tackled after a charging run towards the middle of the outside of the box by Pritchard from the right side.
Batth blocked a shot and then Ba had another missed opportunity due to another block.
Pritchard burst forward but fired straight into the arms of the goalkeeper.
Patterson (who had been subbed on at halftime) was called into action as he collected a ball that had been sent across the six-yard box.
A dangerous cross was jabbed away by Batth after an attack began with Zak Johnson giving the ball away near the box.
A shot was fired well wide of the left side of the post by Hartlepool and then Taylor was replaced by Michael Spellman who has been in good form for the U21s in pre-season.
Bennette scored twenty minutes into the half. The Costa Rican made a blistering run into the right side of box, after an inch-perfect pass by Nectarios Triantis, he powerfully drove it into the bottom left corner to halve the deficit.
Zak Johnson was replaced by Marshall Burke.
Gooch clumsily gave away a penalty away. He tripped his man after being skipped past. The penalty was dispatched into the right hand side to once again give the home side a two goal cushion.
Ba chipped one wide past the left post, following a one-on-one situation.
A Mistake by Rigg would follow, he sent one across his own box after being closed down. Joe Gray slotted it home past Patterson into the bottom right corner.
The final major action of the game was a Hartlepool player dragging one just wide of the left post after a shot from the right side.
Final Score: 2-5
ALS Man of the Match: No one in particular
