Hartlepool United 5 - 2 Sunderland: How it played out as pre season ends with heavy defeat

Sunderland ended their pre-season campaign with a heavy 5-2 defeat at Hartlepool United, with a woeful defensive showing likely doing little to alter Tony Mowbray's plans for the opening Championship fixture.

Mowbray fielded an entirely changed XI from the Real Mallorca friendly and the unfamiliarity in terms of both formation and individual positions told badly as the visitors were caught cold by a Hartlepool side getting setting for their National League kick off.

While it was a night primarily designed to top of match fitness for those who needed it, large parts of the performance will undoubtedly be a concern to Mowbray.

The Black Cats fell behind within three minutes of the game, Niall Huggins losing his footing as Sunderland tried to play out of the back and allowing Wreh to finish emphatically from inside the box.

It would prove to be something of a theme throughout the half, both in terms of players struggling to stay on their feet and failing to match Hartlepool's intensity. In an unfamiliar formation and a number of players out of position, the Black Cats were defensively poor and caught out regularly when losing possession.

They were briefly level when Pritchard curled an excellent free kick from the edge of the box into the top corner, but the respite was brief. A sweeping counter was finished well by Hartlepool midfielder Anthony Mancini and the impressive midfielder doubled his tally within a minute, pinching the ball off Huggins and driving an effort from range into the bottom corner.

Mowbray moved to a back four and brough Lynden Gooch into midfield, which stemmed the tide somewhat even if Hartlepool continued to forge most of the better openings. Crawford went close shortly before the break but saw his effort deflected just wide.

The hosts made a number of changes at the break and the gulf in quality began to show, Bennette driving a good finish into the far corner after Triantis sprung him clear with a fine through ball.

It looked as if Sunderland at that point would battle back but unforced errors allowed Hartlepool quickly to extend their lead. A foul from Gooch on Hastie allowed Dieseruvwe to score from the spot, and a loose pass along his own six-yard box from Triantis left Grey with a tap in from a matter of yards.

Ba almost scored a good goal in between those efforts, chipping just wide from inside the box, but it was turning into a chastening night for Sunderland.

Sunderland XI: Young (Patterson), Gooch, Triantis, Batth, Johnson (Burke) , Taylor (Spellman); Huggins, Rigg, Pritchard, Ba, Bennette