SUNDERLAND U-23s fell to a 5-3 defeat against Burnley at Edgeley Park in Stockport on Monday afternoon, writes Joshua Bunting.

Elliot Dickman's side only needed one point to qualify from the group stage as he set his young Cats side out in a 4-4-2 formation.

Sunderland, kitted out in all white, started the brighter of the sides as Reece Greenwood was played in by Josh Maja, but his shot deflected off Burnley defender Scott Wilson and rolled wide.

Maja then created a chance for himself as he ran through the Clarets defence before seeing his shot well saved by Northern Ireland Under 21 keeper Connor Mitchell.

From the resulting corner the Black Cats thought they had gone ahead as Dan Casey's shot from inside the six yard box was cleared off the line by the experienced Kevin Long, who was just returning from injury, after Mitchell spilled Ethan Robson's corner.

However, against the run of play it was the home side who took the lead through Daniel Ageyi as he went on a mazy solo run skipping past the challenges before firing low past James Talbot in the Sunderland goal on 27 minutes.

It wasn’t long before the side from Wearside equalised when Greenwood hit a powerful shot across Mitchell as the Clarets failed to clear their lines.

Sunderland then didn’t have to wait long before going into the lead as Maja latched on to Joel Asoro's pass to calmly slot the ball into the net.

Burnley were playing some nice football on a soaking wet pitch as they created another good chance on 32 minutes when Wilson played in Dwight McNeil before he dragged his shot wide of the target.

Dickman will then be wondering why his side didn’t go 3-1 ahead as Maja has his shot cleared of the line by Long before the ball rebounded out for Luke Molyneux, but he scuffed it wide of goal when he really should have done better.

The young Cats were then made to rue this chance as straight away the game was all square as Ageyi scored his second after an inch perfect Wilson cross into the penalty area.

This goal gave the home side a new sense of belief and seconds later created another shooting chance as Arlen Birch drove through but shot straight at Talbot.

On the stroke of the break Burnley did grab their third goal when Jimmy Dunne met a corner perfectly before hitting the ball of the post only for it to rebound in via the back of the despairing dive of Talbo .

Burnley started the second half just as they ended the first, very much on top as Jamie Thomas saw his low drive saved by Talbot the ball rebounded back to Ayeyi.

He was then denied by a superb save by the Sunderland keeper. But rom the resulting corner the Clarets did have their fourth, as Birch scored with a sublime scorpion kick to restore the two goal cushion.

This goal seemed to waken the Black Cats up as on 62 minutes Joel Asoro fired wide of the upright after a Luke Molyneux cross to the back-post.

Mitchell was then called into action several moments later as he made a big save to keep out Maja who was one on one with the Northern Irishman.

The game was then dead and buried when the Clarets got their fifth, as a trialist sent a powerful drive into the top corner of the net from twenty five yards out giving Talbot no chance.

Maja was really impressing with his pace and energy and he had a great chance to pull a goal back at the back-post on 70 minutes after he fired wide a low Josh Robson cross from the right.

It was that man Maja who had yet another good chance minutes later as his rasping drive deflected of Long and sailed behind for a corner. Mitchell then made yet another fine save as he parried Ethan Robson's low shot from the edge of the area away.

Sunderland did pull a goal back through Maja, who won a penalty after being bundled over in the box before he brushed himself down to fire straight down the middle leaving Mitchell with no chance.

As the game neared its end Talbot then was called into action yet again as he made a fine low reaction save to keep out Tristen Juneau's low shot.