Sunderland Reserves 2 Liverpool Reserves 1
Scorers: Sunderland - Chopra (60m), Luscombe (84m); Liverpool - el Zhar (75m)
Hetton Centre
Attendance: 1,203
Wednesday September 17, 2008

Michael Chopra returned to action (and onto the scoresheet) as Sunderland Reserves overcame Liverpool 2-1 in Hetton.

Neil Bailey included experience in his side in the form of Chopra, Nick Colgan, Anthony Stokes and Graham Kavanagh, while a lot of youth also got a look in, with Jordan Henderson, Jack Colback and Michael Liddle also included.

It was Henderson who provided our first real chance of the night, when he fired straight at Dean Bouzanis in the tenth minute, following a pullback from Chopra who was in the early throes of one of his better games in a Sunderland shirt, as he quickly forced another save from the Australian stopper.

Graham Kavangh put a hopeful shot just wide from 30 yards out as the Lads ended the first half on top as far as chances went - but level in terms of the scoreline, despite a free kick from Liverpool in stoppage time as Daniel Pacheco shot straight at Colgan.

David Ngog came close to taking the lead for the visitors ten minutes into the second half, as he fired straight over the bar, before Sunderland took the lead on the hour mark, when a run forward from Kavanagh saw the Irish veteran fire a shot off the bar, only for the ball to bounce back into open play for Michael Chopra to shrug off a challenge and convert a relatively easy shot.

Chopra could have made it 2-0 in the 75th minute as he hit the post himself, and a minute later Liverpool were level as Nabil el Zhar ran down the left wing before cutting in and tucking a close range shot past Colgan.

The Moroccan's goal looked to have sealed a draw for the Scousers, but the Lads had the last laugh with six minutes to go, when Nathan Luscombe - just on as a sub - headed in Michael Chopra's right wing cross past Bouzanis with his second touch of the game to keep up the reserves' 100% start to the season.

Sunderland Reserves: Colgan, Kay, Liddle, McArdle, Hartley, Kavanagh, Meyler, Colback, Henderson (sub 83, Luscombe), Chopra, Stokes (sub 88, Dowson).

Liverpool Reserves: Bouzanis, Darby, Insua, San Jose, Huth, Plessis, Pennant, Spearing (sub 71, Brouwer), Ngog, Pacheco (sub 59, Flynn), El Zhar.