Sunderland 4 (Middlemas 57, Ogunsuyi 79, Watson 86, Tuterov 90+4) Wolves 1 (Fraser 45+1)
Wolves under-21s exited the Premier League 2 play-offs at the round of 16 stage following defeat at Sunderland on Bank Holiday Monday.
Despite Nathan Fraser’s opener in first half stoppage time, the Black Cats fought back through a Ben Middlemas leveller just shy of the hour before three goals in the closing stages compounded the scoreline for James Collins’ side.
In what was an exciting and hard-fought encounter for the majority, Wolves were first to threaten at Eppleton CW. After Tawanda Chirewa had turned neatly inside his own half, the visitors broke through Ty Barnett and Enso Gonzalez, before the latter threaded through to Chirewa who took a touch to compose himself and fired at the near post, only to be denied by Adam Richardson.
Trey Ogunsuyi then came close for Sunderland as he struck over from Tom Watson’s cross, while Ellis Taylor forced Jimmy Storer into a save after cutting inside onto his left boot.
Back at the other end, Fraser was unlucky with an overhead kick that trickled just wide of the post before Alfie Pond headed over from Owen Hesketh’s dangerous corner.
Wolves found their breakthrough in first half stoppage time as Fraser’s high press paid off, with the striker pouncing on a loose touch from Richardson, before robbing the ball off the goalkeeper and finishing into an open net.
Nathan Fraser pounces to break the deadlock! 🐅#PL2 pic.twitter.com/znIMcxqFxr
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) May 6, 2024
Half-time | Sunderland 0-1 Wolves
Sunderland equalised with the hour mark approaching as Middlemas won the ball back in the Wolves half and set Caden Kelly on his way, who duly returned it back to Middlemas to fire past Storer with a shot from inside the area.
Storer saved from Kelly to deny the home side from taking the lead while, at the other end, Barnett volleyed over from Aaron Keto-Diyawa’s cross with the game in the balance.
However, with 11 minutes to play, Sunderland found the goal to give them the advantage for the first time in the tie. Kelly made tracks down the right-hand side and his clever backheel found the feet of Ogunsuyi who took one touch before spinning and firing across goal with an unstoppable effort that found the far corner.
Sunderland all but sealed their progression into the quarter-finals when they added a third with four minutes remaining. Watson was isolated one-on-one with Wes Okoduwa and managed to wriggle onto his left foot before striking low past Storer to give the hosts a two-goal lead going into the final few minutes.
Noha Lemina almost spectacularly pulled one back for Wolves after the goalkeeper came out to clear only as far as the substitute, but his first-time effort from distance dropped the wrong side of the crossbar.
The Old Gold were forced to play the final minutes of stoppage time with 10 men after Barnett picked up a second yellow card, before Sunderland capitalised further as substitute Timur Tuterov made it four as he slid in to convert from Watson’s cross, bringing a close to the 2023/24 campaign for Wolves.
Full-time | Sunderland 4-1 Wolves
TEAMS
Sunderland | Richardson, Taylor, Bainbridge (Lavery 87), Burke (Tuterov 90+1), Bell, Fieldson, Kelly (Ryder 90+6), Middlemas, Ogunsuyi, H. Jones (J. Jones 90+6), Watson.
Subs not used | Chibueze.
Wolves | Storer, Okoduwa, Keto-Diyawa, Hesketh, Pond, Voice, Gonzalez (N. Lemina 46), Whittingham (Farmer 90), Fraser (Holman 83), Barnett, Chirewa.
Subs not used | Esen, Ojinnaka.
