Sunderland Under-21, managed by Reading legend Graeme Murty, were beaten 3-1 by Tottenham Hotspur in the PL2 play-off final on Sunday.
Murty, who captained the Royals into the Premier League in 2006 and made more than 300 appearances in a decade at the club, moved to Wearside after departing Glasgow Rangers.
Finishing seventh in the normal season, the Black Cats beat Wolves, West Ham and Reading on route to the final.
Almost 2,500 turned out at the SCL Stadium last week for Murty's homecoming, with the majority leaving heartbroken as the Wearsiders snatched a 120th-minute in a 4-3 thriller.
🗣️ 'I want to reiterate how proud we are of this team...'
— SAFC Academy (@AcademyOfLight) May 26, 2024
Graeme Murty gives his post-match assessment...#SAFC | #PL2 pic.twitter.com/4eXbwBHlBB
Noel Hunt's Reading looked to have won the tie 3-2 in normal time with a pair of late quickfire goals, but Ellis Taylor grabbed his hattrick in stoppage time to send the game into extra time.
Jacob Borgnis was sent off for the hosts and Trey Ogunsuyi snatched the winner for Murty and Sunderland to set up Sunday's clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which was eventually won by the hosts.
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