On a night when Sunderland’s understudies were handed an opportunity to stake their claim for a leading role, far too many fluffed their lines. Le Bris’ first-choice XI might have lost at Burnley, but aside from the injured Dan Ballard, it’ll almost certainly be the same again when Brentford head to Wearside on Saturday.
The likes of Dan Neil, Chris Rigg, Patrick Roberts and Enzo Le Fee did nothing to enhance their cause last night, and with Sunderland having fallen at the first hurdle in the Carabao Cup for the fourth season in a row, they might not be playing much football for the foreseeable future either.
You strongly suspect Le Bris won’t be shedding too many tears about exiting the League Cup, and for all Sunderland’s supporters have thoroughly enjoyed their recent trips to Wembley, there is an acceptance amongst most supporters that securing Premier League survival has to be the be all and end all this season.
For some of the players that suddenly find themselves on the fringe of things on Wearside, though, the Carabao Cup could have offered a route back to the first-choice XI.
Not anymore, after Milan Aleksic rolled his penalty wide in the shootout after 11 spot-kicks had been successfully converted.
While all six of Huddersfield's penalties were clinically dispatched, Aleksic failed to find the target after Le Fee, Roberts, Neil, Rigg and Jenson Seelt had all scored.
It was harsh on the young Serbian, who looked distraught as he was supported by his team-mates, and whose brief appearance off the substitutes' bench had provided one of the few highlights of the night from a Sunderland perspective.
Le Bris lost both cup matches he presided over with Sunderland last season, and while it would perhaps be a little unfair to suggest that the [Black Cats](http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/sunderland) boss could not care less about the cup competitions, they clearly feature well down on his priority list.
That much was evident from last night’s team sheet. The fact that the starting line-up contained 11 changes from the side that started Saturday’s Premier League defeat at Burnley was not too much of a surprise. The absence of all 11 starters from the squad completely was perhaps more unexpected, but reflected Le Bris’ desire to give his first-choice XI a complete rest.
Replacing them was the core of the side that did so much to win promotion last season. They were key performers last term, but they hardly sparkled on their return to the side last night.
Sunderland were poor for most of the 90 minutes, although in fairness, there wasn’t a lot they could have done about Huddersfield’s ninth-minute opener. Niall Huggins could perhaps have got more purchase onto his headed clearance from a corner, but there still appeared to be precious little on as the ball dropped towards Leo Castledine on the edge of the area. The Huddersfield midfielder had other ideas, though, lashing a superb first-time volley past Patterson.
As well as playing with pace and purpose on the counter-attack, Huddersfield caused problems from set-pieces all evening. The League One side loaded the 18-yard box whenever they had a corner, and their sense of adventure almost paid dividends again midway through the first half. Sunderland’s defenders failed to deal with a ball in from the left, but Jack Whatmough dragged his shot wide.
The Black Cats were still to force Huddersfield goalkeeper Lee Nicholls into a save at that stage, with neither Isidor nor Marc Guiu able to create any space in the final third. The latter broke into the box after a fine run from Roberts, but after turning into trouble, his shot was blocked.
A degree of rustiness was perhaps understandable in some of Sunderland’s players, but their failure to ask any serious questions of League One opposition was still concerning. Rigg looked wasted stationed on the right touchline, and while Le Fee drifted around neatly in the central areas, he rarely looked like opening up the Huddersfield defence.
At least the hosts raised their intensity levels in the second half, and their first meaningful opportunity arrived ten minutes after the break. Rigg’s pressing forced an error from the Terriers backline, but while Guiu turned neatly in the area, his low shot was saved by Nicholls.
Nicholls produced another smart stop shortly after, tipping Le Fee’s free-kick over the crossbar, and from the resultant corner, Sunderland wasted a golden opportunity to level the scores. Debutant Nordi Mukiele was completely unmarked as he sized up a diving header on the edge of the six-yard box, but with the goal seemingly at his mercy, he flashed an effort wide of the post.
Rigg was similarly wasteful with a 75th-minute shot that he flashed into the side-netting, but with pretty much the whole of the second half having been played in the Huddersfield half, an equaliser began to feel increasingly inevitable.
It arrived with six minutes remaining. Aleksic stood up a cross from the left flank, and Guiu burst between two defenders to head home his first goal in a Sunderland shirt.