Sunderland were comprehensively beaten by League Two Bradford City at Valley Parade in their latest pre-season outing. The Black Cats fell behind early in the second half to Emmanuel Osadebe's goal, and Bradford extended their lead 15 minutes from the end when Jamie Walker won and converted a penalty.
But Mark Hughes' Bradford were the better side throughout and could easily have scored two or three more goals against a disjointed and lacklustre Sunderland side that offered little attacking threat of its own. The one consolation for Alex Neil is that the line-up that began at Bradford is a long, long, way away from the one that will start against Coventry City on the opening day of the season.
Neil named a full slate of changes from the weekend friendly win at Dundee United, as he looked to give more members of his squad a full 90 minutes. He also chose this game to experiment with a back three, giving new signing Aji Alese his first start alongside Danny Batth and Carl Winchester in central defence.
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Lynden Gooch and Ellis Taylor were the wingbacks, with Jack Clarke and Jack Diamond playing up front. Bradford were the better team in the first half, and created the better chances.
They should have gone in front just after the quarter-hour when Brad Halliday got to the byline on the right and his cross flashed across goal, with Andy Cook inches away from making contact when any touch would have diverted it into the net. Walker sent a shot narrowly wide of the left-hand post from 25 yards, and then Lee Angol wasted an excellent opportunity when he found himself in on goal with only Batth to beat and with two men in support, yet he was greedy and tried to go it alone, with Batth able to get a toe to the ball.
Sunderland created next to nothing, with their best hope coming when Clarke took a tumble inside the penalty area but the referee was not interested and it looked like the forward had gone to ground too easily in any case.
Early in the second half, Sunderland did show more intent. Gooch cut into the penalty area from the right but his tame shot was straight at the keeper.
At the other end, Carney made a brilliant intervention to get a touch on the ball to prevent Cook getting a shot away after he had capitalised on an Alese mistake, and Winchester tidied up. But seconds later Bradford broke the deadlock, when Osadebe got the better of Batth inside the area on the left and squeezed his shot beyond Carney from a tight angle.
Sub Harrison Sohna was about to unleash a shot from inside the box when Bradford's Matty Foulds made a well-timed tackle. And the Bantams doubled their lead 15 minutes from time.
More weak defending allowed Walker a run on goal and Batth and Gooch got in each other's way, with Gooch ultimately dragging down the forward and conceding a penalty. Walker got up to send Carney they wrong way from the spot and make the game safe.
And Bradford could have added a third goal in the latter stages when Carney flapped at a cross-shot, and the ball was sent back towards goal but Winchester got back to clear off the line.
How they lined up
Bradford: Lewis, Halliday (Threlkeld 46), Platt (Young 76), Crichlow (Songo'o 67), Foulds (Cousin-Dawson 76), Osadebe (Staunton 67), East (Oliver 67), Smallwood (Wadsworth 76), Walker (Wood 76), Cook (Harratt 67), Angol (Scales 76). Subs not used: Richardson, Pointon, Wilson
BOOKED: Walker
Sunderland: Carney, Winchester, Batth, Alese, Gooch, Embleton, Matete, O'Nien, Taylor (Sohna 61), Clarke, Diamond. Subs not used: Patterson, Richardson, Neil, Stewart, Wright, Evans, Hume, Cirkin, Pritchard, Roberts, Ballard, Dajaku
Booked: Matete
Attendance: 4,022
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