Crewe Alex U18 0 Sunderland U18 1

Crewe Alexandra U18 0 Sunderland U18 1

Neville Pilkington

Group leaders Sunderland had to work hard down in Cheshire in order to grind out a single goal win on a cold dry day at Crewe.

Crewe have an excellent reputation at Youth level and have enjoyed a good season but the win for Sunderland, although a narrow one, was fully merited.

They started well and Adam Mitchell shot just past the post after only two minutes. Then Louis Laing, completing his first full game after a long-term injury and doing well, brought the ball out of defence to find Nathan Wilson who forced a good save.

The same player went close twice as Sunderland stepped up the pace and Adam Mitchell should have possibly scored but ...