Tony Mowbray has seemingly ruled out fast-tracking in-form teenager Harry Gardiner into Sunderland's first-team despite the Black Cats' striker crisis. Mowbray was Eppleton on Monday night to watch the 19-year-old score twice - he was initially credited with a hat-trick, before his third goal was given as an own-goal - for Sunderland U21s in a 4-1 Premier League 2 victory against Stoke City.
And that meant Gardiner has now been on target in each of his last four outings for the U21s, scoring five goals in that spell, and he has scored a total of six goals in ten games this season. With Ross Stewart's season-ending injury and Ellis Simms having been recalled by Everton from his loan spell at the beginning of January, Mowbray down to the bare bones in terms of attacking options at first-team level with on-loan Leeds United youngster Joe Gelhardt - who at 20 is just a year older than Gardiner - the only first specialist striker he can call upon.
That has led to the question being asked this week as to whether Gardiner should be given a chance in the first team, particularly as Mowbray has already involved 15-year-old midfielder Chris Rigg from the bench in three FA Cup ties this season. But Mowbray is wary of throwing Gardiner in at the deep end, saying: "I think Harry has only trained once or twice with us, if that.
