Fleetwood Town 2-1 Sunderland
Sunderland must settle for second in Group A of the Papa John’s Trophy Northern section after a narrow defeat to group winners Fleetwood Town at Highbury Stadium.
Callum McFadzean’s first goal for the club put us in front early on in a game between two already-qualified teams, before debutant Ollie Younger was replaced by Cieran Dunne on the brink of half-time with what looked to be an injury to the back of his leg.
Dunne himself then had to be taken off with an arm injury, before Barrie McKay levelled for the home side at the start of the second half.
Mark Duffy soon put Fleetwood ahead, on an evening where injuries took their toll for Phil Parkinson and Sunderland in Lancashire – McFadzean then forced from the field with a hamstring strain before Duffy later came off injured himself.
On a bright spark for the Lads, six players made their debuts on the night including the sadly injured Younger and Dunne, with Anthony Patterson, Josh Hawkes, Vinnie Steels and Sam Wilding also entering the history books as first-team players.
The manager again made eight changes to his starting XI from the weekend Emirates FA Cup tie with Mansfield Town – Dan Neil and Brandon Taylor also started in a youthful side, along with Elliot Embleton, marking his return with his first start of the season following his weekend cameo. Jordan Willis returned to captain the side.
A substitutes’ bench with an average age of just 19 was named including two 17-year-olds, along with 21-year-old Mitch Curry, who scored both goals for our Under-23s against Wolves last week.
Patterson was called into impressive occasional action during the opening 45 minutes, first dealing with a header from Fleetwood’s James Hill, before denying Josh Morris twice.
But it would be Sunderland who created the first clear-cut chance and moments later scored with their second. Younger saw the crossbar deny him a fairytale start to his senior career with the Lads, Fleetwood then blocking McFadzean’s follow-up.
And our newest signing was on hand to notch the opener in just his second match, making space for himself before driving a firm deflected strike home off the post with 15 minutes on the clock.
With Fleetwood trying to push after conceding and the Lads playing on the counter-attack, the impressive wing-backs McFadzean and Jack Diamond continued to be heavily involved, and scorer McFadzean picked out the run of Embleton – his neat turn and cross-shot ricocheting off the outside of the near post.
The woodwork saved Fleetwood again with three minutes remaining of the half, as Shayden Morris headed Embleton’s threatening set-piece delivery onto the top of the crossbar.
This came shortly after the initial impact of Younger’s injury – the centre-half sustaining a blow to the back of his knee in a challenge on the left-hand channel. After his initial attempts to continue what had been a solid first start, youngster Dunne was on hand to replace him moments later for a fourth debut of the night as the half drew to a close.
In the first notable action of the second half, Dunne suffered even more unfortunate luck, picking up an injury to his arm which was deemed unable to carry on with by physios from both dugouts. On came Steels, for a fifth new Sunderland first-team player.
It was shortly after when the Lads’ defence was breached, as an attack from Josh Morris down Fleetwood’s left-hand side came off, delivering for McKay to slide home the equaliser.
And the hosts showed a relentless start to the second period, as Duffy met Shayden Morris’ pull-back in space inside the area to finish calmly. The injury list on the night for the Lads then bordered on extraordinary, as McFadzean’s night came to a premature end with a hamstring problem – Wilding on for his first-team bow as Parkinson was forced to shuffle his pack even further.
Fleetwood continued to assert themselves well, McKay inches away from adding to his tally with a curling free kick onto the bar, before later on being denied by a terrific recovery block from George Dobson just inside the area. Duffy – scorer of the decisive goal – then suffered a hamstring strain of his own, incredibly a fourth injury of the night.
Embleton and Diamond’s deliveries appeared the most productive outlet in a frustrating second half for the Lads, Hawkes and Diamond himself seeing shots blocked, but Fleetwood were able to see out the game as both clubs now await our fate in the knockout stages of the competition.
Sunderland: Patterson; Taylor, Willis ©, Younger (Dunne 45’ (Steels 48’)); Diamond, Neil, Dobson, Embleton, McFadzean (Wilding 61’); Hawkes, O’Brien.
Subs not used: Richardson, Wearne, Curry, Almond.
Fleetwood Town: Cairns, Smith, Hill, Holgate, Rydel, Duffy (Boyle 86’), Rossiter © (Baggley 46’), Finley (Barrett 89’), J. Morris, McKay, S. Morris.
Subs not used: Leutwiler, Edwards, Hayes.