Halifax Town 1-1 (3-5 Pens) Sunderland U21: Sunderland earn extra point in shoot-out win
Sunderland U21s came from behind to earn a draw in the National League Cup Group D game against Halifax Town with a battling display.
Sean Tarima’s first-half goal was cancelled out by a second-half leveller from Abdoullah Ba, as the game ended as a draw.
A miss from Halifax’s Zak Emmerson in the penalty shoot-out earned Graeme Murty’s side an extra point, but exited the National League Cup.
⏰ It ends level at the Shay, and we will head to a penalty shoot-out to decide who takes the extra point in Group D.
[1-1]#SAFC | #NLCup pic.twitter.com/sdvm0sQlXz
— SAFC Academy (@AcademyOfLight) November 25, 2025
Sunderland first-team players Abdoullah Ba, Joe Anderson and Jay Matete all started in the game, as they looked for match fitness, ahead of the January transfer window, while Halifax were second in the league and hoped to go level on points with group leaders Boston United.
With an end-to-end start to the game, Halifax were the ones to initiate the first blow. Owen Bray played a clever ball to Tarima, who was able to run unopposed into the box, before slotting the ball past a stranded Adam Richardson.
The hosts looked like they were going to double their lead, when a curling ball from Tarima found Owen Devonport unmarked, but he failed to make any contact on the ball.
In the second half, Halifax still looked the better side with an intense press catching the Sunderland midfield out several times, but a nice counter-attack from the Black Cats earned themselves a leveller.
GET INNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/sC7wTvDXOt
— SAFC Academy (@AcademyOfLight) November 25, 2025
A lung-busting run by Jenson Jones, from the edge of his own box, gave Sunderland a numerical advantage in the attack, and a long switch of play to Ba gave him plenty of space in the box. He took the ball down before brilliantly sending the defender with a fake shot and calmly slotted the ball past Nathaniel Ford.
Halifax picked themselves back up and would have regained their advantage if it wasn’t for a brilliant reaction save by Richardson to deny Devonport.
Sunderland had a chance to win it late on, when a poor clearance gifted Finn Geragusian a chance at goal from around the six-yard line, but his effort was blocked brilliantly by Adam Alimi-Adetoro, who stuck out a leg and the ball flew just over.
Halifax thought they had won it late on, when a great ball from Tarima found Devonport at the back post, who calmly poked it home; only for it to be ruled out by the linesman for offside.
After the game headed to a penalty shoot-out to decide who would earn the extra point in Group D, Emmerson stepped up and dragged his penalty well wide, before Archie Lightfoot won it for the Black Cats – placing the ball past the ‘keeper.
Sunderland Under-21s host Bromley U21s on Monday at Eppleton in the Premier League Cup (7pm kick-off).
