Sunderland travel to Accrington in the Skybet League One.
Last time out Sunderland won the EFL Trophy, beating Tranmere Rovers, and Accrington lost at Milton Keynes.
Sunderland return to League One action after a 1-0 victory at Wembley Stadium saw them win their first Trophy in the capital since the famous FA Cup win in 1973 against Don Revie’s Leeds United.
Tom Flanagan is a doubt, having been injured during Sunday's final, Dion Sanderson and Bailey Wright could return in defence.
Before Christmas, Accrington were playing well and sat in 8th position and could have gone top if they had won their 3 games in hand, but they are now in the middle of their worst run of the season and sit in 10th position. Stanley will be without at least five key players, Goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, captain Seamus Conneely, striker Colby Bishop, defender Ross Sykes and winger Joe Pritchard are all set to miss the game.
Lee Johnson:
"It was a great day, a tough day let’s make no mistake, but we got there in the end under very difficult circumstances, being the team expected to win with all the history.”
“Listen, we wanted the fans to be here today and they weren’t, but at the same time we gave them something at least, you know and that’s the start of it – we hope”
“We did look a bit leggy today, but we showed two or three moments of real quality, and we could have scored on two or three occasions.”
“Barring that sort of five or minutes after we scored I thought that we saw the game out quite well in the last ten minutes.”
“It’s unbelievable, sometimes you need that character, we had nine boys or however many it was up there as well who fully deserved to be a part of that win and I’m sure that they had a good time. It sounded like it, they were as passionate as the five million supporters of Sunderland all around the world watching.”
“We have loads to play for, we want to keep winning, success can breed success. Today is about enjoying the win, tomorrow or maybe the next day, we focus on Accrington”
John Coleman:
“I don’t think for a second that we deserved to lose that game, if you told me that after fifteen minutes I would have disagreed with you because they moved the ball quickly, we were expecting that and had planned for it.”
“It didn’t quite go to plan, they didn’t score by good passing play, they scored from a horrendous error from our side, but they did pass it well and created some good chances in that spell.”
“At 2-2 it looks to be only one winner, Toby hasn’t made a save and then deep into stoppage time you get an offside which we don’t think is offside, and from the freekick they put the ball in the box and we should deal with that ball better.”
Match Appointments:
Referee: JOHN BUSBY
Assistant Referees: David Avent and Gary Hilton
Fourth Official: Graham Salisbury
Team Line ups
Sunderland: Burge, McFadzean, Sanderson, O’Nien, Power, Scowen, Winchester, Jones, McGeady, Wyke, O'Brien.
Subs: Matthews, McLaughlin, Younger, Neil, Maguire, Gooch, Stewart
Injured: Xhemajli, Willis, Flanagan, Hume
Accrington: (4-2-3-1) Savin, Burgess, Hughes, Nottingham, Rodgers, Barclay, Butcher, McConville, Morgan, Smyth, Charles.
Subs: Maguire, Scully, Perritt, Martin, Russell, Isherwood, Phillips
Injured: Baxter, Conneely, Bishop, Sykes, Pritchard.
Betting Odds:
Home 11/4 Away 19/20 Draw 23/10
My two pence:
At last, the Hoodoo is no more.
Time to get out of this League now - and do it in style. Automatic promotion is in our hands and we need to continue the winning mentality.
Another 3 points will send the best message to the League leaders and the chasing pack.
I’m going for a 2-1 away win.
Live stream £10
https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/live-video
Ha’way the Lads
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Last time out Sunderland won the EFL Trophy, beating Tranmere Rovers, and Accrington lost at Milton Keynes.
Sunderland return to League One action after a 1-0 victory at Wembley Stadium saw them win their first Trophy in the capital since the famous FA Cup win in 1973 against Don Revie’s Leeds United.
Tom Flanagan is a doubt, having been injured during Sunday's final, Dion Sanderson and Bailey Wright could return in defence.
Before Christmas, Accrington were playing well and sat in 8th position and could have gone top if they had won their 3 games in hand, but they are now in the middle of their worst run of the season and sit in 10th position. Stanley will be without at least five key players, Goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, captain Seamus Conneely, striker Colby Bishop, defender Ross Sykes and winger Joe Pritchard are all set to miss the game.
Lee Johnson:
"It was a great day, a tough day let’s make no mistake, but we got there in the end under very difficult circumstances, being the team expected to win with all the history.”
“Listen, we wanted the fans to be here today and they weren’t, but at the same time we gave them something at least, you know and that’s the start of it – we hope”
“We did look a bit leggy today, but we showed two or three moments of real quality, and we could have scored on two or three occasions.”
“Barring that sort of five or minutes after we scored I thought that we saw the game out quite well in the last ten minutes.”
“It’s unbelievable, sometimes you need that character, we had nine boys or however many it was up there as well who fully deserved to be a part of that win and I’m sure that they had a good time. It sounded like it, they were as passionate as the five million supporters of Sunderland all around the world watching.”
“We have loads to play for, we want to keep winning, success can breed success. Today is about enjoying the win, tomorrow or maybe the next day, we focus on Accrington”
John Coleman:
“I don’t think for a second that we deserved to lose that game, if you told me that after fifteen minutes I would have disagreed with you because they moved the ball quickly, we were expecting that and had planned for it.”
“It didn’t quite go to plan, they didn’t score by good passing play, they scored from a horrendous error from our side, but they did pass it well and created some good chances in that spell.”
“At 2-2 it looks to be only one winner, Toby hasn’t made a save and then deep into stoppage time you get an offside which we don’t think is offside, and from the freekick they put the ball in the box and we should deal with that ball better.”
You must log in or register to see images
Match Appointments:
Referee: JOHN BUSBY
Assistant Referees: David Avent and Gary Hilton
Fourth Official: Graham Salisbury
Team Line ups
Sunderland: Burge, McFadzean, Sanderson, O’Nien, Power, Scowen, Winchester, Jones, McGeady, Wyke, O'Brien.
You must log in or register to see images
Subs: Matthews, McLaughlin, Younger, Neil, Maguire, Gooch, Stewart
Injured: Xhemajli, Willis, Flanagan, Hume
Accrington: (4-2-3-1) Savin, Burgess, Hughes, Nottingham, Rodgers, Barclay, Butcher, McConville, Morgan, Smyth, Charles.
Subs: Maguire, Scully, Perritt, Martin, Russell, Isherwood, Phillips
Injured: Baxter, Conneely, Bishop, Sykes, Pritchard.
You must log in or register to see images
Betting Odds:
Home 11/4 Away 19/20 Draw 23/10
My two pence:
At last, the Hoodoo is no more.
Time to get out of this League now - and do it in style. Automatic promotion is in our hands and we need to continue the winning mentality.
Another 3 points will send the best message to the League leaders and the chasing pack.
I’m going for a 2-1 away win.
Live stream £10
https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/live-video
Ha’way the Lads
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then Burge a must and 09, then McGeady, Sanderson, Diamond of course as he set the game alight when he came on, Scowen for his Running, and from there anyone LJ deems should start
RTB
