Vitoria de Setubal 1, Sunderland 1

Jul 24 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

SUNDERLAND brought their trip to Portugal to an end with a 1-1 draw against Vitoria de Setubal, but at least manager Roy Keane managed to watch the entire game from the bench following his sending off against Sporting Lisbon last weekend.

Keane and striker Michael Chopra are still waiting to find out whether they are going to be banned for the start of the Premier League season following their dismissals in that game, but even that regrettable episode against Sporting cannot ruin a thoroughly successful week in the sunshine for the Black Cats squad.

Indeed, Keane has rarely seemed as relaxed as he has done during these last few days on the Algarve, his mood undoubtedly helped by the progress the club have made in the transfer market during their time away.

Sunderland’s squad remains short on numbers and quality, but the signings of Teemu Tainio and Pascal Chimbonda are a big step in the right direction as the Irishman looks to continue the improvements he has made in his two seasons at the Stadium of Light. With the need to give everyone a run out in mind, Keane made plenty of changes to the side which started against Sporting last weekend. The only real surprise was that Kieran Richardson started the game, having missed the last two days of training with a slight thigh problem, while Anthony Stokes was once again on the bench.

Rumours in Scotland have suggested Rangers are interested in signing centre-back Russell Anderson, although this was denied by senior officials at Ibrox and the former Aberdeen man started for the Black Cats yesterday.

However, goalkeeper Marton Fulop, a target for Stoke City, did not feature last night, fuelling speculation the Hungarian will be on his way out of the club in the coming days because of his desire to play regular first team football.

Vitoria proved to be ideal pre-season opponents. Hard-working and sharp, they gave Sunderland a real test. Indeed, the Portuguese side threatened to over run the Black Cats in the first half after taking an early lead through Bruno Moraes.

Darren Ward had been forced to tip Aly’s mis-hit cross over the bar, but Sunderland’s defenders still failed to wake up and Moraes was given the time and space to side-foot home a close range volley with less than two minutes gone.

Sunderland found it difficult to build up any sort of momentum and Vitoria were denied a second when Ward made a sharp double save to keep out Moraes following a clever set-piece routine.

Graham Kavanagh was also fortunate not to concede a penalty moments later when he appeared to catch a Vitoria player in the area, but the Wearsiders rode their luck and still went in at the break with parity restored when Richardson smashed the ball through a crowded box after Vitoria had failed to clear a corner properly.

The usual personnel changes at the break disrupted the game’s flow and there was more upheaval just before the hour mark when Dwight Yorke was forced off by a whack on the head.

In his absence,

Sunderland should have won the game, but failed to take their chances. Phil Bardsley was denied by the goalkeeper when he might have slipped Andy Reid in instead, before Anthony Stokes dragged an excellent chance wide as he ran on to Grant Leadbitter’s deflected cross.

The young Irishman, though, was a little unfortunate not to finally grab the winner late on when his shot from Daryl Murphy’s flick-on thumped against the crossbar.

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Ward; Nosworthy (Bardsley 46), Anderson, Collins (Wallace), Higginbotham; O’Donovan (Edwards 46), Kavanagh (Whitehead 46) (Kavanagh 82), Leadbitter, Richardson (Reid 46); Prica (Yorke 46) (Stokes 59), Chopra (Murphy 46). Sub (not used): Gordon.

Bookings: Whitehead, Reid.