Middlesbrough Res 4 Sunderland Res 1

Apr 2 2008 by The Journal

A YOUNG Sunderland reserves side was well beaten by Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium last night.

The Black Cats pressed the self-destruct button in the opening 30 minutes when defensive errors cost them.

Boro took the lead in the seventh minute when Lee Dong-Gook dispossessed Jack Pelter and found Nathan Porritt in space in the box. The winger picked his spot and fired a shot across Trevor Carson and into the corner.

The home side made it 2-0 in the 13th minute and it was made by Gaizka Mendieta, the Spaniard making a rare appearance. His corner was headed in off the bar by Jonathan Grounds.

Sunderland had to wait until the 19th minute to test Ross Turnbull. Liam Miller cut inside from the left and hit a shot from 25 yards which the keeper held. The Black Cats were at sixes and sevens at the back in the first half and only a good save by Carson denied Jonathan Franks a goal in the 20th minute. Carson, however, was to blame for Boro’s third goal in the 27th minute. Having raced outside his box to make an interception, the keeper laboured on the ball and lost possession to Tom Craddock who slotted a shot into the corner.

Jamie Chandler drilled a shot past Turnbull to finish off a good move and hand the Black Cats a lifeline as half time approached.

Gavin Donoghue came on for the Wearsiders at the start of the second period and he should have made it 3-2 in the 49th minute, heading Jake Richardson’s corner wide from close range.

But Lee Dong-Gook made it 4-1 with nine minutes to go, hitting Porritt’s cross in off the bar.

MIDDLESBROUGH RESERVES: Turnbull, McMahon, Corker, Johnson (Martin 75), Williams, Grounds, Franks (Cronesberry 52), Mendieta (Hillerby 46), Craddock, Lee, Porritt.

SUNDERLAND RESERVES: Carson, Wright, M'voto, Pelter (Donoghue 46), Dennehy, Weir, J. Richardson (Henderson 68), Miller, Chandler, Luscombe, Cook.