Checkatrade Trophy: Sunderland knocked out as Under-21 sides struggle

Jack Rodwell was part of the Sunderland Under-21 side which lost at Doncaster

Only two of the nine invited Under-21 sides won as their lower-league opposition enjoyed the better of the Checkatrade Trophy second round.

Sunderland, who included ex-England international Jack Rodwell, were knocked out after losing 1-0 to League One side Doncaster Rovers.

AFC Wimbledon scored in injury time to beat Tottenham Under-21s 4-3, while West Brom, Newcastle and Reading lost.

Of the Under-21 sides, only Southampton and Leicester won in the 90 minutes.

• Tuesday's EFL Trophy results

Defeat for the Black Cats leaves them bottom of Northern Group H and without a point, meaning that they now cannot progress to the knockout stage, with just one group game remaining.

Brighton Under-21s beat Oxford United on penalties to take a bonus point, while 10-man Stoke overcame Rochdale in the shoot-out after drawing 0-0.

Shrewsbury Town, the only unbeaten side in the EFL, extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 12 games with a comfortable 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion's Under-21s, who included summer signing Oliver Burke.

Meanwhile, it was an evening of derbies in the south west, where Plymouth beat Exeter 5-3 on penalties in the Devon derby and 17-year-old Jordan Stevens scored his first professional goal as Forest Green Rovers beat Cheltenham 2-1 in an all-Gloucestershire clash.