Sunderland drew 2-2 with Gateshead at Hebburn Town in their first pre-season friendly
Sunderland kicked off their 2025/26 pre-season campaign with a 2-2 draw against Gateshead.
A predominantly development side competed well against National League opposition, with all four goals scored in an end-to-end first half before a much more cagey second period. Trey Ogunsuyi and Joe Anderson were on the scoresheet for Graeme Murty's side.
Sunderland fielded two teams for each half of the game, starting with a blend of youth and senior players including Joe Anderson, Naz Rusyn and Ian Poveda. The Black Cats made a slow start to the contest and were punished within ten minutes, one of Gateshead's trialists cutting inside from the left flank and driving an effort past Noukeu into the bottom corner.
Sunderland responded when Poveda cut inside from the right flank and unfurled a superb long-range drive, which was palmed clear by the goalkeeper flying high to his right. The winger went close again not long later when he cut inside from the right, this time his low drive drifting just wide of the far post after taking a nick off his own team mate.
Poveda aside, Sunderland had probably been second best through the opening exchanges but improved significantly after a water break. They got their reward when a long-range effort from Jack Whittaker deflected kindly into the path of Trey Ogunsuyi, who had a simple finish with the goalkeeper already on the floor.
Sunderland kept pushing and had the lead when Anderson, had been dominant throughout the half, stepped out from the back and drove an excellent effort into the back of the net via the inside of the post.
Sunderland were in the ascendancy but were pegged back when Jaydon Jones lost the ball in midfield, Fenton John doing well to turn into space on the edge of the area and find the bottom corner. The Black Cats almost reestablished their lead just before the break when Poveda put in a good cross from the right, which just evaded Trey Ogunsuyi. Rusyn was there at the back post to stoop and meet it, but the goalkeeper did well to claw off his line. Rusyn had worked hard up and down the left flank and would have been deserving of a goal, but the two sides went into the break level.
Sunderland switched their entire team at the break, again going with a blend of youth and more senior players including Abdoullah Ba and Luis Hemir. The chances were certainly harder to come by for both teams, with Gateshead by and large dominating possession but unable to play their way through Sunderland's press. It was Gateshead who had the first real chance of the half, Nouble doing well to get clear of the Sunderland defence but firing his effort just wide of the far post with Matty Young rooted to the spot.
Sunderland began to grow into the contest and should have taken the lead when a strong tackle from Matthew Burns on debut saw Hemir run through on goal. He tried to go low and through the goalkeeper, but his effort was blocked. The Black Cats thought they had won it late on when young right winger Charlie Dinsdale drove into the box from the right flank, his low effort well saved by the goalkeeper.
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