MARCUS Stewart has been one of those Sunderland have been looking to offload this summer. But at Barnsley last night the uncertainty surrounding his future did not appear to have distracted him too much.

The experienced striker, who saw a move to Bristol City breakdown last month, showed he still has an eye for goal with a clinical first half strike as the Black Cats continued their preparations for the Coca-Cola Championship with a 2-1 win at one of Mick McCarthy's old stamping grounds.

Stewart's future has been clouded in doubt since Sunderland brought the curtain down on the 2003-04 campaign with play-off defeat to Crystal Palace on penalties in May.

One of the club's highest earners, the 31-year-old, who hit 16 goals last season, now looks destined to play in a red and white shirt come August and challenge for one of the front two places along with Kevin Kyle, Stephen Elliott, Neil Teggart and Chris Brown.

And Stewart proved against Barnsley that he still has the know-how around the penalty area to help spearhead Sunderland's assault on promotion back to the Premiership.

"Stewart has been great and I told him from day one that whatever the speculation it doesn't affect my relationship with him and whether he plays in the team," said McCarthy. "He's responded to that and played well and looked fit through pre-season.

"Marcus did really well last season and I'm sure he will be looking to do better this year."

He added: "I'm still looking for players and whether I do or I don't bring anyone else in I will still have a very good starting eleven."

Against the Tykes, in Sunderland's first game back on English soil after the club's trip to the United States, the former Ipswich man was paired up front alongside youngster Brown - with close-season recruit Elliott (illness) and Kyle (hip) both sidelined.

In fact only Carl Robinson - who ended last season on loan on Wearside from Portsmouth - from Sunderland's new-boys started last night although both Steve Caldwell and Dean Whitehead sat the entire game on the bench.

There was also a chance for highly-rated teenage goalkeeper Ben Alnwick to stake a claim to become Mart Poom's deputy with the Estonian missing with a calf injury.

And Alnwick, replaced by Michael Ingham at half-time, responded well and gave an assured display with the highlight being when he ran out to deny Barnsley winger Chris Shuker as he ran clean through on goal just before the interval.

If Barnsley-born McCarthy and his men were suffering from jet-lag - after a tortuous trip back across the Atlantic that was delayed on Friday - then they did not show it.

Full-back George McCartney played a pin-point cross onto the head of Brown after five minutes, only for the striker to place his downward header just wide.

Then, in between Michael Boulding twice going close for the hosts, John Oster fired a right foot drive over Nick Colgan's crossbar.

But Stewart put Sunderland ahead on 20 minutes when he controlled McCartney's left wing pass with a deft first touch, before firing left footed low into Colgan's right corner.

Robinson's fine header was stopped by Colgan before Alnwick was called into action at the other end to deny both Jacob Burns and ex-Hartlepool loan man Shuker.

Sunderland extended their lead five minutes after the restart when Oster, running at pace towards the Barnsley defence, had a right foot shot deflect off Tony Vaughan and high into Colgan's net.

Just two minutes later, though, Paul Hart's side, who included former Darlington striker Barry Conlon, were brought back into it when Boulding rose first to head Shuker's cross beyond substitute Ingham.

Now Sunderland will look to take further steps towards full match fitness when they take on Scunthorpe on Thursday before travelling to Doncaster on Sunday.

Barnsley: Colgan, Hassell, Williams, Reid, Carbon, Vaughan, Burns, McPhail, Shuker, Conlon, Boulding. Subs used: Austin, Stallard, Nardiello, Wroe, Onibuje. Not used: Scarsella, Kay, Heslop, Baker, Williams, Tonge.

Sunderland: Alnwick (Ingham 46), Wright, Breen, Clark, McCartney, Oster, Robinson, Whitley, Arca, Brown, Stewart. Subs (not used): Caldwell, Williams, Thornton, Leadbitter, Teggart, Ryan, Whitehead.

Attendance: 5,996

l Two former Sunderland players have taken a step nearer to finding new clubs.

Midfielder Paul Thirlwell, released at the end of last season, is in talks with Sheffield United after a successful spell training with the Blades. And Austrian goalkeeper Jurgen Macho is on the verge of ending his nightmare spell at Chelsea. Macho has gone on trial with Norwich City after being told he can leave Stamford Bridge.

Result: Barnsley 1 Sunderland 2.

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