Keane and Chopra shown red in Algarve victory

11:20pm Sunday 20th July 2008

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WHO said pre-season friendlies were lifeless? Sunderland’s first match in the Algarve against Sporting Lisbon ended in extraordinary circumstances tonight.

Not only did Sunderland manage to claim a 3-1 win against their Portuguese counterparts, they were also restricted to ten men and manager Roy Keane was sent from the dug-out 12 minutes from time.

After a pretty tame encounter had the match level after Roy O’Donovan cancelled out Brazilian Ronny’s opener, Danny Higginbotham’s onfield row with former Middlesbrough man Fabio Rochemback raised the tension.

And, after Michael Chopra was shown the red card moments later for a late lunge, Keane’s remonstrations with the fourth official ended with him heading to the dressing room too.

It was a spectacular ending to a fixture that had been uneventful for the most part at the tiny Estadio Albufeira Municipal, where thousands of supporters crammed in to one main stand and two temporary.

The dismissals though only spurred Sunderland on, with Nyron Nosworthy and Anthony Stokes notching goals to claim a win with ten men.

With every player available to Keane with the exception of the injured Liam Miller, the squad in the Algarve had a very familiar feel about it.

And, while it is worth noting that this is Sunderland’s first pre-season outing, perhaps the fact that Daryl Murphy had to start as a lone striker highlights what area is most in need of strengthening.

With no new faces arriving so far during the close-season, it meant that all the players involved had a chance to remind manager Keane what they have to offer.

But Keane, on the bench after holding talks with four Tottenham players, cut a frustrated figure as he sat in the stands during a pretty poor opening half from Sunderland.

With the exception of Carlos Edwards’ shot wide inside two minutes and Kieran Richardson’s mis-directed chip over goalkeeper Tiago half way through, Sporting controlled up to the break.

As well as enjoying most of the possession, typifying why they finished second the Portuguese league, they also created the best of the early chances.

The first of those arrived in the tenth minute. Derlei’s clever pass from the left ended with quick striker Yannick arriving at the near post to volley over Craig Gordon’s net.

Midfielders Adrien and Izmailov also created opportunities but it was down to a freak free-kick on 28 minutes that left Sunderland chasing the game.

After Kieran Richardson had lunged in to concede a free-kick, Sporting’s recently recruited Ronny struck powerfully low from 30 yards that somehow flew under Gordon.

The restart heralded the start of the routine friendly changes to personnel and within seven minutes two of Sunderland’s combined to level.

Stokes cleverly worked his way in from the left before firing a low cross towards the back post. It evaded everyone except for O’Donovan, lurking at the back post, and he took a touch before applying the low finish into Tiago’s far corner.

Chopra, introduced on the hour, was denied by Tiago when he ran through on goal and that arrived just moments before the incident that made a pretty tame affair into an exciting one.

But the departure of Chopra and Keane only acted as a spur to the rest of the Sunderland team. And eight minutes from time Nosworthy climbed to head in the second.

Incredibly Sunderland did not stop there either. Another attack ended with Stokes striking in the third. An astonishing ending.

SPORTING: Tiago; Carrico (Silva 46), Adrien (Caneira 46), Pereirinha (Tiui 46), Abel (Tonel 46); Izmailov (Golas 90), Ronny (Grimi 60), Rochemback, Derlei (Romagnoli 46); Yannick. Subs (not used): Batista.

SUNDERLAND: Gordon (Fulop 46); Bardsley (Anderson 46), Nosworthy, Collins, Wallace (Higginbotham 46); Edwards (Leadbitter 46), Yorke (Kavanagh 46), Whitehead (Prica 60), Reid (O’Donovan 46), Richardson (Stokes 46); Murphy (Chopra 60). Subs (not used): Ward.