This is how it played out as Sunderland's long unbeaten run ends at Sheffield Wednesday

Goals from Dennis Adeniran and Sylla Sow saw the Black Cats deservedly knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the first round, bringing an end to Sunderland’s 18-game unbeaten run.

It was the first competitive away defeat of Neil’s tenure as his side were sluggish in attack and sloppy in defence.

Both sides had rotated heavily from their league XI and from the early stages that showed.

While it featured many key players from last season’s run to Wembley, many were in unfamiliar positions and in unfamiliar partnerships. Through the opening exchanges it was fair to say that both sides looked disjointed in severe heat, the Black Cats largely controlling possession but gifting the ball up too often when trying to build attacks.

The hosts had not offered a great deal more early on, but took the lead through an outstanding strike fifteen minutes in. Sunderland thought they had cleared the danger when a cross was headed away, but Adeniran took one touch to shift the ball onto his left foot before arrowing a brilliant strike into the top corner on his left foot. On full debut Alex Bass had no chance.

Wednesday were encouraged, only a good block from Trai Hume and a poor header at the back post from Ben Heneghan preventing them doubling their advantage.

Sunderland finally showed some incisision when Sohna saw an effort blocked, Jack Diamond running onto a through ball from Jay Matete afterwards and dragging an effort from a narrow angle just wide of the far post.

To his credit, Diamond was showing a real spark leading the line and was by some distance the biggest headache for the hosts throughout a really poor first half.

Sunderland had dominated possession with little to show from it, and both Gregory and Brown forced good covering challenges from Neil’s defence before the break.

Though Neil resisted the temptation to make substitutions at the break he did drop Embleton deeper to try and get things going in possession, and it did bring his fellow forward Roberts into the game more. The pair combined to release Hume to the byline and his low cross was just beyond Diamond at the front post.

That move hinted at a possible revival but poor play ten minutes later looked to have put the contest to bed. A slack pass from Bass took Alese out of the game and when Adeniran crossed to the back post, substitute Sow was unmarked and able to fire a first-time volley into the bottom corner.

Sunderland continued to dominate possession as Wednesday sat off to protect their lead, and in truth the visitors were showing little sign of being able to turn the tide.

That Neil had still not turned to his bench with 20 minutes to play suggested his priority very much remained protecting fresh legs for Saturday’s visit of QPR.

Though Michael Spellman and Caden Kelly were eventually introduced, the hosts were never truly troubled.

Sunderland XI: Bass; Hume, Winchester, Batth, Alese, Sohna; O’Nien, Matete; Roberts (Kelly, 83), Embleton (Spellman, 80), Diamond

Subs: Patterson, Cirkin, Neil, Batth, Simms, Clarke, Gooch

Sheffield Wednesday XI: Dawson; Palmer, Iorfa, Heneghan (Ihiekwe, 45), Brown, James (Johnson, 80), Byers, Bakinson, Adeniran (A Hunt, 80), Paterson (Cook, 71), Gregory (Sow, 44)

Subs: Stockdale, Johnson, Bannan, Dele-Bashiru, Vaulks

Bookings: Winchester, 10 Bakinson, 67

Attendance: 8,412