MIKAEL MANDRON scored the only goal of the game as Sunderland continued their pre-season preparations with victory at Carlisle United.

With Gus Poyet’s team facing Hartlepool United on Wednesday night, half of the first-team squad got some minutes under their belt at Brunton Park , with Vito Mannone in goal, as Costel Pantilimon will start at Victoria Park alongside Lee Cattermole and Steven Fletcher among others..

Charis Mavrias played an hour at right-back with new signing Billy Jones once again in the left-back position as Sunderland strive to recruit new players.

Despite the gulf in quality, Carlisle, relegated from League One last season, were the better team in the first half, with Billy Paynter and David Amoo both impressing on the ball.

Gus Poyet gave 30-minute run-outs to several under-21 players including Mandron, George Honeyman and Liam Agnew, while Tom McNamee was an early replacement for Diakite, who was taken off as a precaution with a knee complaint.

And it was Mandron who netted what turned out to be the winner for the visitors, with a composed finish past Carlisle goalkeeper Mark Gillespie, shortly after his introduction on the hour mark.

CARLISLE UNITED: Gillespie, Symington, Grainger (Gillies 65), Potts, O’Hanlon, Archibald-Henville (Thirlwell 66), Amoo (Rigg 81), Sweeney (Dempsey 81), Paynter, Kearns (Meppen-Walter 65), Brough.

SUNDERLAND: Mannone (Dixon 60); Mavrias (Dixon 60), Diakite (McNamee 29), Brown (Beadling 60), Jones (Robson 60); Moberg-Karlsson (Gooch 53), Cabral (Smith 60), N'Diaye (Honeyman 60), Gomez (Agnew 60); Giaccherini (Lawson 60); Wickham (Mandron 60).

Att: 3,616