SC Heerenveen 4 Sunderland 1
August 12th 2000

Report from safc.com

SUNDERLAND'S pre-season programme finished in the same fashion as it began, with a below par performance and a heavy defeat.

After a bright start against SC Heerenveen, who will compete in the Champions' League next season, Peter Reid's men slumped to 4-1 defeat, and it could have been worse.

It means Sunderland have won just one of their six pre-season games and that was against part-timers Apeldoornse Boys.

It is hardly the ideal build up to their Premiership opener against Arsenal next week but the latest defeat can be counted as a bad day at the office for Reid's men.

Sunderland were a lot more impressive against Fortuna Sittard on Tuesday and were very unfortunate to lose that game. The Black Cats were in control in the opening half hour against Heerenveen and it was no surprise when they went in front in the 24th minute through midfielder Don Hutchison.

Frenchman Eric Roy was tripped inside the penalty area by Ronnie Venema and the former Everton tucked away the penalty kick with ease. But Heerenveen, who lost 3-1 to Chelsea in an earlier pre season game, hit back just four minutes later, and it was sloppy defending from a set-piece that undid Sunderland.

The home side won a free-kick just outside the area and Mika Nurmela fired a shot past Thomas Sørensen, who seemed to move a little late. Heerenveen went in front just after the break and they were again helped by sloppy defending from Reid's men.

Nurmela's free-kick from the right was met at the far post by the unmarked Max Houttuin and Gerard De Nooyer turned the ball over the line. Sunderland will have to show more discipline when defending if they are to kick-off their Premiership campaign in a successful way, although Reid is likely to make three or four changes for the visit of the Gunners.

Again it was bad defending that led to Heerenveen's third goal, when De Nooyer was allowed to head home Nurmela's cross without a challenge. Sunderland's passing game had deteriorated by this stage although trialist Cedric Bardon should have finished off a fine move involving Michael Gray and John Oster in the 56th minute, but the Frenchman screwed his shot wide.

Reid's men were made to pay for that miss after 72 minutes when Ignacio Tuhuteru fired under Sørensen after playing a one-two with Dennis De Nooyer.

Sunderland had chances late in the game through substitutes Kevin Kyle but they weren't converted.

Sunderland: Sørensen; McCartney, Varga, Holloway, Gray; T. Butler, Hutchison (Peeters 53), Roy, Kilbane (Bardon 46); Dichio (Kyle 46), Oster.

Heerenveen: Vonk, Houttin, Nwankpa, Venema, G de Nooijer, Radomski (sub 60, Holm), Numela (sub 75, Kolk), Huizinga (sub 56, Tuhuteru), D de Nooijer, Jensen, Lurling.