Sunderland U21s played out a 1-1 draw with local rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League 2 on Friday afternoon.
The Black Cats took the lead partway through the second half when full-back Tom Lavery headed home a Harrison Jones corner, but the visitors levelled things up at the Academy of Light less than 10 minutes later.
Friday’s contest was also notable insofar that it marked a return to action for senior defender Aji Alese, who registered 45 minutes for Graeme Murty’s development side before a planned substitution at the interval. Here’s how he, and the rest of Sunderland’s side, rated...
9. Rhys Walsh
Operated on the left in the first half before switching to the right after the interval. He was quiet early on but worked extremely hard. After the break, he misplaced several forward passes after winning the ball back, though he looked brighter late on despite struggling with his final ball. 6 | Rhys Walsh
10. Bayley Hester
Started on the right wing and initially looked a little lightweight playing up an age group (deserves credit for doing so). After switching to the left in the second half, he improved markedly, beating his man several times and causing problems. Made the wrong decision towards the end of the game not to release the ball at the right time. 6 | Sunderland AFC
11. Finn Geragusian
Led the line and put himself about in the number nine role. His physical presence helped Sunderland progress up the pitch, but he was limited in terms of clear goalscoring chances. He worked tirelessly throughout. 6 | Finn Geragusian - Photo by Ben Cuthbertson
12. Finlay Holcroft
Replaced Alese at centre-back at half-time and found it difficult to settle, misplacing a few passes as he struggled for rhythm. It was a tough ask to come on and influence the game. 5 Photo: Ben Cuthbertson