Sunderland’s defence of the Papa John’s Trophy is over after they were knocked out of the Second Round of the competition losing 1-0 to Oldham Athletic at the SOL on Wednesday. A second half Harry Vaughan goal was enough to seal a place in the next round for the League Two strugglers.
As expected, Lee Johnson rang the changes to the side that beat Cambridge at the weekend with Lee Burge starting between the sticks behind a back three of Xhemajli, Alves and Younger. Leon Dajaku started as right wing back with Cieran Dunne on the left with Embleton, Wilding and O’Brien as a fluid midfield three. Up front Will Harris and Benji Kimpioka led the line.
There was an early chance for the lads when Embleton got down the left and played it to Kimpioka in a decent position. However, Kimpioka dwelt on the ball too long and failed to get a shot away allowing Oldham to get men back to snuff out the chance. A couple of minutes later Embleton cut in from the right and saw a shot blocked before at the other end Xhemajli did well to clear the ball twice. The first a decent header clear before blocking a powerfully hit follow up shot.
Sunderland should have taken the lead after 13 minutes when Harris played Kimpioka through on goal with a great ball forward. Kimpioka jinked past a defender but with just the keeper to beat clipped a left footed shot wide of the mark and into the side netting.
After 22 minutes Oldham created a good chance when a cross from the right went over the head of Lee Burge forcing Alves to concede a corner at the back post. From the resulting set piece Lee Burge had to make a save before Oldham kept the pressure on Sunderland with Hope eventually forcing Burge into a save low to his left.
Just before the half hour Leon Dajaku conceded a dangerous free kick on the angle of the box with a silly foul. Oldham swung it into the box, but Sunderland defended it well with Ollie Younger heading clear. After 35 minutes Sunderland fashioned a half chance when Elliot Embleton played the ball into the feet of Will Harris on the edge of the box. Harris did well to shift the ball into space and curl a left footed shot goal wards, but it was wide of the mark.
A couple of minutes later Harris went even closer when he and Kimpioka combined with a clever one two allowing Harris a clear run-on goal. Harris rounded the keeper but was forced wide allowing the keeper to recover and tip his shot behind for a corner which the visitors cleared. At the other end Sunderland were carved open with Jack Stobbs afforded far much too space down the right but Burge tipped his shot round the post.
There was one minutes additional time before the sides went in for half time with the score goalless. Lee Johnson made a couple of changes at the break with Stephen Wearne replacing Elliot Embleton and Ethan Kachosa replacing Leon Dajaku.
Oldham had the first chance of the second half when Nicky Adams had space on the right to pick out Benny Couto on the left-hand side of the box. Couto struck the cross first time, but his left footed volley went wide. Sunderland forced a corner after Will Harris did well to control the ball and get a shot off but the lads fell behind from the set piece getting caught on the counter.
The visitors cleared the corner with a long ball which Dunne misread before being outmuscled by Harry Vaughan. Vaughan then just had Burge to beat which he did convincingly clipping the ball into the back of the net. A couple of minutes later things almost got worse for Sunderland and Dunne when an Oldham player tumbled under his challenge in the box sparking protests for a penalty from the visitors, but the ref waved them away.
With twenty minutes remaining Cieran Dunne almost atoned for his earlier error when he rode a few challenges bursting into the box with a good run, but the keeper tipped his shot over the bar. It was to be his last piece of action as he was replaced by Tyrese Dyce.
Like the majority of the second period there was precious little action in the closing stages of the game. There were four minutes additional time added and in the first of these Sunderland did put in a decent cross from the left by Dyce but no one could get near it in the six yard box. Sunderland almost got caught again from their own corner after Wearne had saw a shot turned behind but Kachosa recovered to win the ball back with Burge well off his line having went up for the corner.
It was the final action of the game as Sunderland exited the competition.
Final Score: Sunderland 0 Oldham Athletic 1
ALS Man of the Match: Will Harris
