CHRIS Rigg was handed a start for Sunderland and scored his second goal in as many pre-season games as the Black Cats kicked off their trip to the United States with a 3-1 win over San Antonio FC.

Rigg's early opener was cancelled out but summer signing Hemir put the Black Cats back in front on the stroke of half-time before Jewison Bennette wrapped up the victory in second half stoppage time.

Mowbray took the opportunity to give crucial match minutes to the bulk of his squad, with the head coach changing all of his outfield players at half-time.

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Jobe Bellingham joined Hemir, Rigg, Dan Neil and Patrick Roberts in the starting XI.

After the break, Nectar Triantis was introduced for his first outing in a Sunderland shirt having joined up with the squad last week. Danny Batth - who is wanted by Blackburn - also played the second half in what his first appearance of the summer after he missed the South Shields and Gateshead friendlies because of injury.

Sunderland's next game is against New Mexico United in the early hours of Thursday.

Sunderland's first half XI vs San Antonio: Patterson, Gooch, Ballard, O’Nien, Huggins, Neil, Jobe, Roberts, Rigg, Ba, Hemir.

Second half XI: Patterson, Hume, Batth, Triantis, Anderson, Matete, Ekwah, Taylor, Lihadji, Clarke, Bennette.