Sunderland 1-0 Blackpool: Major loan exit hints, telling selection and late winner eases familiar frustration

Sunderland beat Blackpool in their latest pre-season friendly at Bloomfield Road after a late winner from Jack Clarke.

Here’s the story of the game and it’s key talking points from a Sunderland perspective...

Le Bris turns his attentions to Cardiff with bold selection

With the opening day of the Championship season against Cardiff now just a fortnight away, Le Bris’ selection marked a significant shift. Sunderland named a normal size matchday squad and a number of plaers who had bene in Spain were instead with the U21s group in Hartlepool. Leo Hjelde and Pierre Ekwah have minor injuries but that Luis Hemir, Jewison Bennette, Elliot Embleton and Jay Matete were all named in Graeme Murty’s starting XI at Victoria Park. There’s still plenty of time before the new season and the end of the transfer window but at this stage it seems fair to say that they are down the pecking oder when it comes to the new head coach’s plans for the new campaign. Matete and Embleton in particular just need regular football after a tough time with injury. At the moment, that looks likely to be elsewhere other than Wearside.

Quick start almost leads to Sunderland goal

Sunderland almost raced into a lead inside the first minute, Blackpool making a mess of their attempts to play out from the back. A ball was played straight into the feet of Dan Neil, who quickly fed Eliezer Mayenda inside the box. He took a touch and though the connection on his shot was decent, his effort was too close to Grimshaw who was able to claw clear. Trai Hume then burst into the box and had an effort deflected wide as Sunderland turned the screw early doors.

It was a bright start, notable how influential Alan Browne was as he drifted into the right channel and tried to get beyond Hume and Patrick Roberts.

Sedate half plays out but Sunderland have the chances

As expected, Sunderland had almost complete control of the first half in terms of territory and possession - with Blackpool offering very little until right on the stroke of half time when a long ball dropped kindly for Jordan Gabriel inside the box, Patterson making a strong block with his legs.

The Black Cats were playiung reasonably well, albeit just lacking a bit of precision and tempo in their passing at times. Even so, they were clearly the team in the ascendancy and had the better of the chances throughout. They should have been ahead when they ercycled a set play midway through the half, Jack Clarke beating two players on the outside. His low cross was met by Alese but he just couldn’t connect cleanly, turning his effort wide of the post.

Afer a sedate passage of play Sunderland stepped it up again just before the break, Jobe seeing an effort deflected just over the bar following a clever pass from Hume. They were then inches away from forging a big opening when Roberts fed jobe inside the box, his clever reverse pass only just beyond the onrushing Mayenda. Mayenda had the ball in the net before the half-time whistle when he met Alese’s cross from a yard out, but the offside flag was raised.

Blackpool spurn golden openings

Sunderland made just one change at the break as youngster Zak Johnson replaced Aji Alese, while Blackpool changed the vast majority of their side. The injection of energy and intensity from the hosts caugght Sunderland cold as they made a sloppy start to the half, striker Jake Beesley turning a good chance at the near post wide when he ought to have hit the target. Former Middlesbrough defender Hayden Coulson then spurned an even greater chance, blazing over the bar from a matter of yards after Patterson had scrambled across his goal to just about keep a free kick out. The extra pace in Blackpool’s forward line was allowing them to be play over the top and Sunderland had some issues, albeit they began to grow into it as Mayenda flashed an effort just wide of the far post.

Sunderland were then almost caught on the break when Blackpool turned it over and Joseph burst through, Patterson just getting a hand on his cross/shot that gave Hume enough time to recover and block the follow up. The tempo of the game was much better with the hosts being far more aggressive in their play, making for a much sterner and more valuable test for Sunderland.

Sunderland snatch the win late on

Though Blackpool had dominated the early stages of the second half, the game settled into a more familiar pattern as the second half progressed. Sunderland were seeing a lot of the ball and were largely comfortable without carving Blackpool open, and it looked as if it might end with a familiar tale of promising performance but frustrating lack of cutting edge in the final third.

That changed when Neil snapped into a challenge in midfield, winning the ball back and allowing Sunderland to break. Rigg, who had brought a real injection of energy following his introduction, slid the ball in for Roberts who did well to dig out a cross with his weaker foot as the goalkeeper closed him down. That was just beyond Mayenda, but Clarke was there to crash in the winner past the two covering defenders on the goal line.

On balance of play Sunderland deserved the win, though their sluggish start to the secon dhalf almost cost them dear. That le Bris made just two changes told you that the team for the start of the season is now largely in place. How well set do they look? There are a lot of positives in their play, though creating those regular chances and taking advantage of that dominance remains something of a work in progress.

Sunderland XI: Patterson; Hume, O’Nien, Alese (Johnson, 45), Cirkin; Browne (Rigg, 70), Neil; Roberts, Jobe, Clarke; Mayenda

Sub: Moore, Anderson, Mundle, Rusyn, Ba, Aouchiche