Sunderland U21 ran riot against Nottingham Forest U21 in the Premier League 2, Division One, running out 5-1 winners at the Stadium of Light on Monday evening. The result shifts the table dramatically after both sides entered the fixture with identical records of one win and one defeat from two matches.
T. Samuel-Ogunsuyi set the tone with a penalty after just three minutes, and by then the pattern was clear: Forest would dominate the ball but Sunderland would punish them. The striker added two more before the break, his third goal landing in the 58th minute after J. Whittaker had pulled one back for the visitors in the 54th.
And here's the thing about that first half — Sunderland had the sharper legs. J. Newton came on for the hosts at the interval, and the home side didn't need long to stretch the back line further. T. Tuterov made it 5-1 in the 82nd minute before L. Sillah snatched a late consolation for Forest in the 86th.
The statistics tell a familiar tale of dominance without delivery. Forest held 80 per cent possession, earned 20 throw-ins to Sunderland's 14, and won 15 free kicks compared with 13. Yet Sunderland registered 13 shots on target against four, and converted three of their five attempts while Forest managed just one from four.
Nottingham Forest had been unbeaten in their previous two outings — a draw with Gateshead and a 2-0 victory over Luton Town U21 — but this result ends that run and drops them to 18th. Sunderland remain in 13th but now sit three points clear of the bottom half, having turned their form around after a 1-2 defeat to Burnley U21 in May.
