Defeat leaves United with a record of four wins and four losses from eight games thus far this season in Premier League 2. A dozen points has Binnion’s team sat 13th in the 26-team division, which culminates in a 16-team end-of-season knockout competition to determine the ultimate winner.
“They were the better team today,” reviewed Travis Binnion post-match.
“We struggled and got overrun in the first half. We had a few players in different positions because we’re managing minutes for a few players and Sunderland played the game in the right way. They had intensity.
“We played PSV the other night and played well, we did okay at Newcastle last week, but we’ve been found wanting a little bit here.
“We could have come in 3-3 at half-time — we carried a threat — but it would have masked some problems. They were well worth their lead.
“We started the second half really well but we turned the ball over and they went the other end and scored. We had chances after that but 5-2 is a fair reflection of the game.
“I thought Wheatley and Fredricson coming on at half-time did very well, and Sekou Kone was really bright when he came on. Jacob Devaney did well in midfield as well.
“Some of these players are learning on the job and that’s what it’s there for. The U21s level is very different to U18s football when the opposition do it right, when they play with tempo and intensity. Sunderland did that, so credit to them and plenty to learn for our boys today.”
