Sunderland Under-21s head coach Graeme Murty admitted he was critical of his team but got an ideal response
Sunderland U21s boss Graeme Murty. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Graeme Murty hailed his Sunderland AFC U21s side after they produced a stirring second-half fightback to beat Scunthorpe United 3-2 in the opening Group D fixture of the National League Cup. The Black Cats overturned a 2-0 deficit thanks to goals from Ian Poveda, Trey Ogunsuyi and a stoppage-time winner from Jack Whittaker, who Murty singled out for special praise.
“It’s an outstanding experience for our young players,” Murty told the club. “We want to thank Scunthorpe because they’re a proper football club. They approached the game in exactly the way this competition should be respected, and that made it a proper contest.”Murty admitted he demanded more from his side at the break after a slow start.
“I went for them at half-time because they didn’t represent themselves in the first half. But in the second half, they showed the signs of a really good young group – resilience, composure, and bravery on the ball.”
The U21 boss also emphasised the unique development opportunities the National League Cup provides. “It was a proper atmosphere tonight,” he added. “We had 17-year-olds playing in front of a big crowd for the first time, and that’s the benefit of this competition – it exposes them to that environment.”
Whittaker, who netted the winner three minutes into stoppage time, impressed Murty not just for his decisive strike, but for his work rate.
“Jack could barely move at the end, but he worked extremely hard throughout the game and deserved that goal,” he said. “He and Archie Lightfoot worked tirelessly down the left all night.”
Murty added that the coaching staff encourage the players to show personality on the pitch. “We always want the lads to express themselves,” he concluded. “Tonight they matched up with mature, experienced athletes, and that’s a great encouragement as we prepare for the start of Premier League 2 on Monday.”