Norwich's winning run at development level came to an end with a 2-0 loss to the table-topping Black Cats on Monday afternoon at Colney.

Dmitri Halajko's squad had beaten their counterparts from Manchester United and Southampton in recent weeks but City's woes were summed up by Reece Hall-Johnson's late penalty miss as Sunderland moved 11 points clear at the top.

Sunderland's Thomas Beadling made no mistake from the spot in the 51st minute, although Beadling had to re-take his penalty after his initial spot kick success was ruled out for encroachment, before Charalampos Mavrias sealed the visitors' win when he lifted the ball over Ben Killip.

Cameron King and Conor McGrandles were part of a Norwich line up, that featured none of the club's senior players at Colney, ahead of a congested Premier League spell of fixtures that starts with the weekend's trip to Manchester United.

'We should've got something from the game,' said Halajko. 'We ran them close, but didn't capitalise on our good spell and they took advantage of theirs. We had chances to score but couldn't take them. The lads kept going and battled so that was pleasing, but getting that winning consistantcy is the key thing to focus on.'

Glenn Middleton and Arinse Uade offered plenty of threat down the flanks in the opening period, but the Black Cats broke the deadlock when Joe Crowe was adjudged to have fouled Rees Greenwood. Mavrais doubled Sunderland's lead in the 58th minute in a slick move from the visitors, playing a neat one two with Carl Lawson before clipping the ball over the advancing Killip to apply the finishing touch on the goalline.

City continued to press for a late lifeline and Scottish youth international Middleton was hauled down by Tom Robson but James Talbot denied Hall-Johnson diving away to his left to keep out the penalty.

• Norwich City U21s: Killip, Hall-Johnson, Coker, Crowe, Uade (Efete 72), Grant, McGrandles, Cantwell, King, Middleton, Eaton-Collins. Subs (not used): Oxborough, Pollock, Ramsay, McIntosh.

• Sunderland: Talbot, Josh Robson, T Robson, Beadling, Ledger, Agnew, E Robson (Lawson (Wright)), Gooch, Greenwood, Mavrias (McEvoy), Nelson. Subs (not used): Purvis, Brady.

• Goals: Beadling (51, pen), Mavrias (58)

• City officials confirmed after the game defender Arinse Uade had signed a professional deal until the end of the current season following a successful trial.

The former Arsenal youngster featured in both the recent development home wins against Manchester United and Southampton.

'I'm very pleased because it's been a little while since I left Arsenal to get back into this level of football,' he told the club's official site. 'The lads have made me feel part of the group already. That's made it easier for me, and I've had a couple of games at Carrow Road as well which felt a bit surreal. I just want to kick on now and make the most of the opportunity by playing well for the Under-21s.'