SUNDERLAND made it two wins from two on their US tour overnight as they claimed a 3-2 win over New Mexico United.

Tony Mowbray selected a strong starting XI in Albuquerque, and opted to keep all 11 of his players on the pitch for the full 90 minutes rather than make a raft of changes.

Pierre Ekwah opened the scoring with a long-range strike in the first half, with Hemir doubling Sunderland’s lead on the stroke of half-time.

Isaac Lihadji added a third goal midway through the second half, before New Mexico rallied to claim two late strikes of their own.

The game, at Isotopes Park, marked a first Sunderland appearance for 16-year-old goalkeeper Matty Young, and the teenager was called into action repeatedly in the early stages as New Mexico edged the opening skirmishes.

With Nector Triantis also making his first Black Cats appearance at centre-half, Young made three fine early saves, the pick of which saw him claw a goal-bound effort from Nicky Hernandez around the post.

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Ekwah opened the scoring six minutes before the break, firing home a 25-yard drive that swerved markedly before flying past New Mexico goalkeeper Ford Parker.

Hemir doubled Sunderland’s lead in first-half stoppage time, heading home his second goal of pre-season after a cross from Alex Pritchard.

It was 3-0 to the Black Cats shortly after the hour mark, with Lihadji, who has been linked with a possible move to Qatar, reacting quickly in the six-yard box to tap home from close range after his initial effort had been saved.

Young’s hopes of a clean sheet were dashed late on, with Milo Garvanian’s strike taking a hefty deflection off Dan Ballard to give the young goalkeeper no chance of keeping it out.

And New Mexico added a second in the dying seconds as Trai Hume was harshly adjudged to have tripped his opponent in the box, enabling Isaac Zuleta to step up and convert from the penalty spot.


SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1): Young; Hume, Ballard, Triantis, O’Nien; Neil, Ekwah; Lihadji, Pritchard, Ba; Hemir.