Goals from Ross Wallace and Anthony Stokes helped Sunderland get their pre-season off to a winning start, as they beat Darlington 2-0 in horrendous conditions last night.

Roy Keane named just one of his new summer signings in his squad of 20 for the game, with Greg Halford playing the first half at right back, while Russell Anderson and recent signings Michael Chopra, Kieran Richardson and Dickson Etuhu stayed at home. In truth, it was a wonder that the game even started, as pools of water laid around the pitch inside Darlington's fairly-new stadium, which were added to by showers throughout the game. In contrast, Darlington manager Dave Penney included eight of his ten new signings in his side, but while they did cause us the odd problem here and there, Sunderland were never really threatened.

Sunderland could have taken the lead inside the opening 30 seconds, when David Connolly set up Grant Leadbitter for a shot on goal, only for Andy Oakes to paw away the shot to his right hand side. Leadbitter himself needed treatment several minutes later after a crunching challenge with John Brackstone, but he was able to finish the first half. Our next good chance came on ten minutes when Daryl Murphy sent an 18-yard drive straight at the keeper, before Greg Halford put a header from a corner kick straight at Oakes.

We took the lead moments later, courtesy of a move that started in our own half, and finished with Dean Whitehead's cross from the right being dummied by Connolly and into the path of Ross Wallace, who lashed a shot across the face of goal and into the back of the net. Sunderland had chances to extend their lead, with Murphy missing an open goal from five yards out after a rebound from a Connolly shot fell to the Irish striker, before Halford sent a long-range effort just over the bar.

Darlington had to wait until just before the half hour mark before their first effort, as they raced onto a short pass from Leadbitter, allowing Kevin McBride to have a shot on goal, but Marton Fulop was equal to it. To be fair to Fulop, he did have a decent first half, but the Hungarian made several unforced mistakes, including kicking the ball out for a throw in from a goal kick. Wallace had a good chance to make it 2-0 ten minutes from the break, but Neil Austin managed to block his right footed effort, before Halford's shot from the corner was saved well by Oakes.

Sunderland made nine changes at the break, with youngsters Michael Kay and Gavin Donoghue coming on, as Clive Clarke and Ross Wallace were the only players to last the full 90 minutes for us. Those changes meant that we took a while to settle in the second half, as Stern John turned into the villain of the piece, missing a string of chances in a comical second half. First, he fired a shot over the bar after being put through by Wallace, before a goal-line scramble saw Anthony Stokes, Stan Varga and Tobias Hysen all miss chances to score.

The Quakers had a claim for an equaliser on 73 minutes when Darren Ward carried the ball behind the goal line after being challenged by substitute Alex Rhodes - but it was a clear foul and the goal was not given to the home side. Moments later, we sealed the win when Stan Varga beat Rhodes to the ball, and released Anthony Stokes who chipped the ball above Darlington's sub goalkeeper David Stockdale and into the back of the net.

Despite the conditions, it was a good workout for Sunderland, who now go to Scunthorpe on Saturday, with the rest of our new signings hopefully looking to get a taste of action as Roy Keane continues to reshape his squad for the new Premiership season.

Sunderland (first half): Fulop, Halford, Nosworthy, Collins, Clarke, Leadbitter, Kavanagh, Whitehead, Wallace, Murphy, Stokes.

Sunderland (second half): Ward, Kay, Varga, Donoghue, Clarke, Hysen, Yorke, Miller, Wallace, Stokes, John.

Darlington (starting XI): Oakes, Wiseman, Brackstone, Ravenhill, White, Austin, McBride, Blundell, Rhodes, Purdie, Abbott.