Promising pair make injury comebacks in impressive Sunderland U23 win

Elliott Dickman’s side moved up to sixth in the Premier League 2 Division 2 table after the win, and are now just one point off their opponents on Monday afternoon.

Mitch Curry continued his fine goalscoring run with a brace in the game, with young defender Patrick Almond also on the scoresheet.

Josh Hawkes, signed from Hartlepool United in the summer, contributed three assists to underline his strong start to the season.

Team-mate Curry now has seven goals in ten league appearances for the U23s this season, and six in his last four.

Feeney and Younger played 45 minutes each in the contest, a boost for Lee Johnson ahead of a busy fixture schedule.

The pair arrived to bolster the U23 set-up from Everton and Burnley respectively in the summer, but made a big early impression and caught the eye while training with the senior team, and when featuring in Papa John’s Trophy games.

Cieran Dunne also made his return from injury in the win, having dislocated his shoulder during Sunderland’s 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town in the Trophy earlier this season.

The U23s are next in action on Friday, when they travel south to face Reading.

Reading are currently second-bottom in the table after losing 3-1 to Burnley on Monday afternoon.

Sunderland XI: Patterson, Taylor, Almond, Feeney, Dunne; Trialist, Hackett, Wilding; Hawkes, Wearne, Curry

Subs: Harris, Taylor, Younger

Subs not used: Richardson, Beaumont

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