Sunderland U21’s 3-3 West Ham United U21’s (5-3 pens)

Sunderland’s Under 21’s have reached the Premier League 2 play off semi finals after penalty shootout drama against West Ham.

The visitors went into the break 1-0 up thanks to a goal from Gideon Kodua.

Sunderland captain Ellis Taylor struck late on to level things up and sent the game to extra time.

Patrick Kelly put the Hammers 2-1 up in the first half of extra time, before Caden Kelly got the lads back level with a sublime effort.

After a Lewis Orford penalty miss the visitors did eventually go 3-2 up this time through Callum Marshall.

However, Sunderland weren’t done their Tommy Watson equalised with minutes to play sending the game to penalties.

With four penalties converted Adam Richardson’s save to deny Keenan Appiah-Forson, left it down to Watson who made no mistake from the spot booking the lads a place into the final four.

Kodua opened the scoring after 40 minutes from a corner with the ball being knocked down to him and the winger firing in past Richardson from six yards out.

With time running out Watsons deflected cross fell to the feet of Taylor who turned and smashed the ball past Jacob Knighbridge to send the game to extra time.

On the stroke of half time of extra time Patrick Kelly put the visitors back in front slotting the ball past Richardson into the bottom corner.

With 111 minutes on the clock this time it was Caden Kelly with a wonderful shot from outside the area levelling things up at two a piece.

In the 115th minute Westham were awarded a penalty when Oliver Bainbridge took down Kamarai Simon-Swyer in the area, but Lewis Orford’s penalty came crashing off the post and the game remained level.

Two minutes later though the visitors were back in front and looked like they had won it when Marshall, West Hams top scorer, fired home from close range.

But as we’ve seen many times this season Graeme Murty’s side were never going to give up, and with 119 minutes played Watson bundled home after Trey Ogunsuyi’s effort was denied by Knightbridge.

With Taylor, Harrison Jones, Kelly and Ben Middlemas all converting Richardson stepped up and kept out Appiah-Forson’s spot kick with a low save to his bottom right corner.

With Sunderland 4-3 up on penalties it was down to Tommy Watson to wrap things up, and that he did drilling the ball into the bottom left corner.

Having finished seventh in the league Murty’s side have knocked out Wolves and second place West Ham and will now face Reading away in the semi-finals this weekend.