Match Report: Jack McGraghan

Gateshead played out a 2-2 draw against a youthful Sunderland side at Hebburn Sports Ground to end the opening week of pre-season.

A Heed trialist opened the scoring with 11 minutes on the clock until Sunderland flipped the scoreline with goals from Trey Ogunsuyi and Joe Anderson, before Fenton John levelled things up prior to the break.

Alun Armstrong named almost two separate sides in either half at Hebburn Sports Ground, with one of his two trialists finding the net early on to open the scoring as he cut in from the left and found the bottom right-hand corner from the edge of the box.

Tiernan Brooks kept Sunderland off the scoresheet moments later with a flying stop to his left, though Ogunsuyi would be in the right place at the right time to convert a rebound from close range on the half-hour mark.

The Black Cats took the lead moments later when Anderson sent a low drive in off the post, though that advantage lasted just four minutes before John slotted into the bottom-left corner to equalise.

Jovan Malcolm – making his first appearance of pre-season – fired a powerful effort over the crossbar from inside the box late on in the half, before Brooks made a key stop at his back post to keep things level.

An almost all-change side was led out by Kenton Richardson for what proved to be a quiet second half, with Frank Nouble’s early strike past the far post the closest The Heed came to a third.

Academy goalkeeper Preston Leech was called upon to make a number of saves to ensure Gateshead earned a result, seeing out the opening week of pre-season with one win and one draw.

Gateshead (first half): Brooks, Pani, Williams, Grayson, Ferguson, Trialist, John, Lowery, Trialist, Bone, Malcolm.

Gateshead (second half): Brooks (Leech, 61’), Johnson, Richardson, Milmore, Lynn, Akinola, Doyle, Adom, Bone (Harrison, 69’ (Hodgson, 85’)), Thompson, Nouble.

Goals: Trialist (11’), John (37’)

Sunderland (first half): Nna Noukeu, Lavery, Kindon, Anderson, Lightfoot, J. Jones, Hunt, Whittaker, Poveda, Rusyn, Ogunsuyi.

Sunderland (second half): Young, G. Bell, L. Bell, Holcroft, Neild, Matete, Scott, Ba, Dinsdale, Hester, Hemir.

Goals: Ogunsuyi (29’), Anderson (33’)

Attendance: 2,196