Sunderland Under-18s suffer 3-1 Tyne-Wear derby defeat to Newcastle United

Sunderland coach Paul Bryson changed formation for the game, switching to three at the back and two up front.

And it looked like delivering as the Wearsiders took an early lead, Cole Kiernan converting a McKenzie Dicchio pull back from the goal line on 17 minutes.

All was going well for the visitors until 31 minutes, when Newcastle levelled direct from a corner taken by Dylan Stephenson.

For the rest of the half, United had the impetus and were the better team.They went in front two minutes after the break from another corner which went across the face of goal and was bundled in by Nathan Carlyon.Another goal was added seven minutes later by defender Jude Swales who got ahead of Sunderland keeper Jack Newman to score with a header.

The Friday night match was played under floodlights at the Blue Flames Sports ground and Bryson said: “It was a new experience for the lads in front of a good crowd - definitely worth repeating in the future for local derbies.

"After a pleasing start I was so disappointed with goals we conceded. However, there were pluses - 16-year-old Jay Turner Cooke again showed great promise and it was good to see Patrick Almond get 75 minutes in after his long term injury.”

Sunderland 3-4-1-2 Newman (Basey 59), Armstrong, Almond (Watts 75), Baggs, Wombwell, Smith (Taylor 85), Triallist, Miller, Turner Cooke, Kiernan, Dicchio.