- Four goals in 12 first-half minutes from Sunderland gave the visitors a 4-1 lead at the break
- Lynden Gooch scored twice, while Liam Agnew, Rees Greenwood, Charalampos Mavrias and Mikael Mandron also found the back of the net
Leicester City’s Development Squad were beaten by a ruthless Sunderland side in the Barclays U21 Premier League at King Power Stadium on Monday evening.
The Foxes took a deserved lead through defender Ben Chilwell, who nodded on Joe Dodoo’s first-time pass before slotting in past Maksymilian Stryjek on nine minutes to make it 1-0.
But four goals in just 12 first-half minutes by top-of-the-league Sunderland meant the visitors held a 4-1 lead at the break courtesy of Lynden Gooch’s double and strikes from Liam Agnew and Rees Greenwood.
Sunderland then extended their lead as Charalampos Mavrias and Mikael Mandron both netted in the second half to earn all three points for their side.
Harry Panayiotou had the first effort of the game as he turned Jak McCourt’s free kick goal bound, only for Stryjek to save on six minutes.
An exceptional switch from Darnell Johnson then found Joe Dodoo on the left wing just moments later. The winger produced a well-weighted pass to release Chilwell, who nodded the ball on before calmly slotting in to give his side the lead.
Development Squad debutant Max Bramley was called into action shortly after as the City shot-stopper got down well to halt Mandron’s effort on 13 minutes.
While the Foxes looked good value for their early lead, Sunderland were ruthless on the counter attack and turned the game on its head by scoring four times in just 12 first-half minutes.
First, skipper Agnew hauled his side level after latching onto a neat through-ball before slotting in past Bramley from deep inside the box on the half-hour mark.
Just three minutes after Sunderland’s equaliser, the visitors found themselves 2-1 up as Gooch was fouled in the box – the forward confidently stepped up and converted the spot kick.
Gooch was on the scoresheet for the second time in six minutes, finishing a swift move from inside the box to make it 3-1.
And with three minutes of the first period to play, Greenwood side-footed into the top corner past Bramley to put his side 4-1 up at the break.
Four minutes into the second period, the Black Cats added a fifth as Mavrias rounded off another lightning counter attack from the visitors.
City looked for a reply, but it was Sunderland who would score the next goal. Bramley pulled off a fine save to initially deny Mandron, but the striker nodded in at the second time of asking to extend his side’s advantage.
Jacob Blyth and Brandon Fox tried to reduce the deficit late on, but their strikes flew wide of the mark.
The Foxes’ U21 Premier League campaign now takes a short break as they next face Stoke City in the U21 Premier League Cup at the Britannia Stadium on Tuesday 10 November (1pm kick-off).
CITY: Bramley, Johnson, Chilwell, McCourt, Moore, Kipre (Miles 46), Panayiotou, Cain (Rowe 65), Blyth, Stankevicius (Fox 60), Dodoo (c)
SUBS NOT USED: Smith-Varnham, Muskwe
GOAL: Chilwell 9
SUNDERLAND: Stryjek, J. Robson, T. Robson, Agnew, Ledger, Brady, Mavrias (Blinco 73), Smith, Mandron, Gooch (McEvoy 84), Greenwood (E. Robson 73)
SUBS NOT USED: Purvis, Casey
GOALS: Agnew 30, Gooch pen 33, 39, Greenwood 42, Mavrias 50, Mandron 66
REFEREE: Amy Fearn