With the dust settled on Sunderland Under-21s’ Premier League International Cup outing against Borussia Dortmund II at the Stadium of Light, attention now turns to the individual performances on the night.
Graeme Murty handed valuable minutes to a blend of youth and experience, with first-team players Lutsharel Geertruida, Luke O’Nien, Chris Rigg and Dennis Cirkin all involved as they continued their work to stay sharp.
Sunderland lost 3-1 to Dortmund II on the night after some sloppy play from the back, which capped off a disappointing evening for the young Black Cats on home soil. Here is how each player rated following the final whistle:
5. Dennis Cirkin
Dennis Cirkin started at left-back and was a big threat going forward during the early stages. Gave the ball away late in the first half, which almost resulted in a second goal from Dortmund. Also made a few errors in the second half and was beaten a couple of times by his opposite number. 5 Photo: Richard Sellers
6. Jaydon Jones
Jaydon Jones started in the middle alongside brother Harrison Jones and knitted the play together well during the opening stages, but struggled to bend the game to his will as Sunderland went 3-0 down quickly in the second half. 4 | Jaydon Jones
7. Harrison Jones
Harrison Jones started in the middle alongside Jaydon Jones and Chris Rigg but was withdrawn after picking up an injury midway through the first half. Tried to play on but never really got going. 5 | Harrison Jones Photo: Harrison Jones
8. Jack Whittaker
Jack Whittaker started on the left-hand side in front of Dennis Cirkin but moved into the centre after Harrison Jones was withdrawn with an injury in the first half. Functional, but struggled to impact the game. Didn't see enough of him with the ball. 4 | Jack Whittaker