Sean Thornton scores twice as Sunderland rallies against Hearts in pre-season
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 30, 2026, 5:00 AM
Last updated Jul 30, 2026
Sunderland's pre-season match against Hearts sees a late comeback, with Sean Thornton scoring two goals to level the game at 2-2. The team struggled initially, trailing two goals until Thornton's impact changed the dynamics in the last 20 minutes. The match followed a mixed set of pre-season results for Sunderland, highlighting the challenges they faced after relegation. Thornton’s performance offers hope for the upcoming season as Mick McCarthy works to rebuild the squad.
- •Thornton scores a direct free kick and a header to equalize.
- •Sunderland was trailing 2-0 until Thornton's introduction.
- •Hearts led through goals from Phil Stamp and Mark De Vries.
- •The match was part of Sunderland's pre-season preparation.
- •Mixed results in earlier friendlies raised concerns for Sunderland.
- 5:00 AMYahoo Sports — On This Day (30 July 2003) Thornton At The Double To Provide Just A Little Bit Of Hope
"Looking back on this pre-season does make you appreciate just how good a job McCarthy ultimately did during 03-04.
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