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Fortuna Sittard 3 Sunderland 2 (Friendly)
Tuesday, 08 August 2000 00:00

Fortuna Sittard 3 Sunderland 2
August 8th 2000

Report from safc.com

SUNDERLAND's search for a pre-season win goes on but Peter Reid's men only had themselves to blame after pressing the self-destruct button in their Holland opener.

The Black Cats came from behind to put themselves firmly in the driving seat with little more than 20 minutes to go against Fortuna Sittard, but sloppy defending cost them.

Chris Makin, who scored his first Sunderland goal at Tottenham on the last day of last season, cancelled out Ruud Kool's 16th minute opener to put Reid's men level in the 39th minute.

And when Danny Dichio put Sunderland in front in the 57th minute there looked to be only one outcome.

But a mixture of missed chances and sloppy defending meant Sunderland came away with nothing for the third time in four pre-season games. Reid handed a 90-minute trial to Rennes striker Cedric Bardon and he impressed alongside Dichio, the Frenchman twice going close to getting his name on the
scoresheet.

The Sunderland boss, without a number of key players through injury, including first-choice strikers Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn, opted to play Darren Holloway in the middle of midfield and he was the Black Cats' most impressive performer.

Sittard, who beat Derby County on the same ground three days earlier, went in front in the 16th minute through Kool's direct free-kick. But Sunderland will feel aggrieved by how easily the effort evaded their two-man wall and sneaked past Thomas Sørensen at the near post.

The away side, however, hit back in style just before the interval and they had Kevin Kilbane to thank for the goal. The Republic of Ireland winger, who was always involved in the game, weaved past four defenders before forcing a good reaction stop from Sittard keeper Mark Zegers. Makin raced in at the far post to do the rest.

Dichio should have registered before his glancing header - again set up by Kilbane - beat Zegers at the far post. The former QPR man was sent clear by Don Hutchison but miscued his shot from close range.

Sunderland were in control in the second half, with the Dutch side struggling to cope with their slick passing. And when Dichio put the Black Cats in front - then missed two good chances to extend the lead - the victory looked a formality.

But a good goal from Sittard frontman Dennis Gerritsen changed the picture and, just after trialist Bardon had flashed a deflected effort inches wide for Sunderland, Gerritsen grabbed a second to floor Reid's men.

In fact, Paul Butler, who had blasted a shot just over the bar in the 65th minute, headed against the bar in injury time as Sunderland desperately searched for an equaliser.

Despite the defeat the Wearsiders looked sharp against the Dutch top-flight outfit who were playing their last pre-season friendly before their league campaign starts against Ajax later this month.

Fortuna Sittard: Zegers, Geerinckx, Volmer, Roest, Hermans, van der Hoeven, Landerl, Kool, Gerritsen, van Barneveld, Haeldermans.

Sunderland: Sørensen; Makin, Varga, Butler, Gray; Hutchison, Roy (T. Butler 78), Holloway, Kilbane; Dichio (Kyle 73), Bardon.

 
 

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