Danny Batth made his comeback from an ankle injury but could not prevent an experienced Sunderland U23s side suffering a fifth successive Premier League 2 defeat. Batth was one of five first-teamers in the starting XI which took on Burnley U23s at the Stadium of Light and he completed the full 90 minutes.
In the first period Sunderland were the better side and should have been out of sight by the break, but two second-half goals from Owen Dodgson gave the Lancashire side the points. Dodgson struck on the hour to give the Clarets the lead before capitalising on a mistake by goalkeeper Thorben Hoffmann for the second with a little over ten minutes to go.
U23s boss Michael Proctor included senior men Hoffmann, Batth, Arbenit Xhemajli, Leon Dajaku, and Elliot Embleton, in the side. Striker Benji Kimpioka was making his comeback from ankle injury, while trialist Michael Spellman was included once more.
It took an excellent save from Clarets keeper Sam Waller to deny Spellman inside the opening five minutes, getting down low to his right to push away the close-range header after the wideman had met Ethan Kachosa's cross at the far post. Waller made another important stop before the quarter-hour mark, standing up well and blocking with his body after Embleton had fed the ball into the box for Dajaku to hit a powerful drive.
Sunderland continued to dominate and a cross from Embleton found Sam Wilding six yards out, but his header hit Waller, rebounded off a defender, and back into the keeper's arms. Burnley's only opportunity in the first period came on the half-hour when Lewis Richardson strode forward from midfield into the box, but his shot was straight at Hoffmann who made a routine save.
In the second half, however, the balance shifted and Burnley took control. Dan Sassi directed a header from a corner straight at Hoffmann who saved on his goalline.
And the visitors took the lead on 61 minutes when Richardson played the ball into the path of Dodgson running into the box, and he rifled a low shot past Hoffmann at his near post. Embleton and substitute Vinnie Steels both brought saves out of Waller, but Burnley doubled their lead on 78 minutes.
Hoffmann tried to to set Sunderland on the attack, but his throw was intercepted by Dodgson who got into the box down the left before finishing low past the German.
Sunderland U23: Hoffmann, Kachosa, Batth, Xhemajli, Dunne (Dyce 62), Wilding, Scott, Dajaku, Embleton, Spellman, Kimpioka (Steels 46). Subs not used: Carney, Sohna, Jessup
Booking: Embleton
Burnley U23: Waller, Armstrong, Sassi, Nartey, Dodgson, Helm, Woods, Costellow, Richardson (Thompson 79), Tucker (Gomez 79), McGlynn (Harker 74). Subs not used: Allen, Connolly
Referee: David Richardson (West Riding)
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