SUNDERLAND'S preparations for the new season ended on a mixed note at Belle Vue yesterday with a confidence-building 3-1 win tempered by an injury to Julio Arca.

The Argentinian limped out of the action just before half-time with a thigh injury, after a 40-minute performance that had class stamped all over it.

Strikes from Carl Robinson, Marcus Stewart and a Michael Price own goal after Michael McIndoe had given Doncaster Rovers the lead, ensured Sunderland ended their pre-season with a win.

The injury to Arca, however, will be of great concern to Mick McCarthy despite the manager playing down the extent of the problem.

McCarthy said: "Julio felt his thigh and so we brought him off.

"He's got six days and hopefully he'll be all right.

"I can't tell 45 minutes after I've taken him off. We'll see how he is."

Also troubling McCarthy is the Wearsiders' search for a striker which will intensify this week after Nathan Blake's decision to sign for Leicester and Mark Burchill returning to Portsmouth.

The Sunderland boss was disappointed to see former Wolves striker Blake leave, but he will continue his search with Kevin Kyle likely to be out for the start of the campaign which begins at Coventry on Saturday.

McCarthy said: "Nathan Blake's back down in the Midlands. Dave Bassett's worked with him before; he came in, offered him a contract and he accepted. I'm disappointed but there's nothing I can do about it.

"Mark Burchill has gone back to Portsmouth - that's not really the type of striker I'm looking for at the moment.

"With big Kyle missing at the minute, though I hope he'll be back sooner rather than later, I'm still looking."

Before Arca limped off all the good football came from Sunderland but Rovers' willingness to pump balls towards Leo Fortune West caused several problems at the back.

Sunderland handed a start to 19-year-old Chris Brown, no stranger to Belle Vue having played 17 times for Rovers last term and scoring ten, but it was the footballing skills of McIndoe on the left that brought Rovers the opening goal.

Cutting inside, McIndoe drew the foul from Stephen Wright on the edge of the Sunderland box.

Poor communications between goalkeeper Mart Poom and his defensive wall resulted in McIndoe curling the free kick left-footed into Poom's bottom right hand corner.

Sunderland continued to play the football with George McCartney and Arca linking well down the left.

After Robinson wasted the first chance created by the left-sided duo, the former Portsmouth man made no mistake with the second.

McCartney fed Arca on the edge of the penalty area, the Argentinian rolled the ball into Robinson's path and the midfielder drilled the ball beyond Rovers keeper Andy Warrington.

Arca, who incurred the wrath of the home fans with a theatrical fall in the penalty area, then upset the away following by limping off injured.

His replacement, Liam Law-rence, had no kinder reception from the Rovers faithful, whose dislike for anything from Mansfield Town was more than apparent

Sunderland took the lead just before the hour when substitute Stephen Elliott, whose pace was a constant threat to Rovers, picked up the pieces after mix-up in defence and fed Stewart in the box to make it 2-1.

Stewart's goal and performance pleased his boss.

McCarthy said: "Marcus put in a great shift. There was some suggestion he might leave in the summer but that's through no fault of Marcus.

"He's just got his head down and I was delighted with his perfomance."

Three fly pasts by a Lancaster and Spitfire appeared a trifle over-dramatic to mark Stewart's strike, but the RAF's finest proved a big hit with both sets of fans who burst into a rendition of the Dambusters theme.

Wholesale changes followed from both teams, removing any semblance of free-flowing football, before Sunderland made the game safe when Lawrence's cross was turned into his own goal by Jamie Price.

Doncaster Rovers (4-4-2): Warrington; Marples (Price, 59), Foster (Albrighton, 79), Fenton (Morley 20mins), Ryan, Tierney (Coppinger, 59), Green, Doolan (Rigoglioso, 77), McIndoe, Blundell (Ravenhill, 77), Fortune West (Mulligan, 77)

Sunderland (4-4-2): Poom (Myrhe, 79), Wright (Lynch, 58), Breen, Clarke (Caldwell, 45), McCartney (Williams, 58), Oster, Whitley (Whitehead, 60), Robinson (Thornton, 60), Arca (Lawrence 40), Brown (Elliott, 45), Stewart (Leadbetter, 67).

Referee: Martin Atkinson (Leeds)

Attendance: 4,36.

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