Ipswich Town forward Freddie Sears has revealed what it’s like for opposition players at the Stadium of Light – admitting that it’s a ‘nice’ place to play, with no hostility.
Sunderland have only won two home games this season, beating Fulham and Hull City, having gone almost an entire year without a home win.
The Stadium of Light has proved to be a difficult place for Sunderland, deep in a Championship relegation fight, to pick up points, and Sears has provided some insight.
The ex-West Ham striker said: “You could see that Sunderland’s heads dropped as soon as we scored the first goal.
“Goals change games, because they started well and were on top, so we had to weather a bit of a storm.
“We knew that if we could get the first goal it would change everything. After the second goal, it really did turn.
“You see it all the time, teams at the bottom.
“They have a spell, and as soon as they go behind it’s the same old story, as if ‘here we go again’. We’ve been in that position and we know what it feels like.
“Especially at a stadium like this. It’s a Premier League stadium, so when they’re struggling in the Championship and getting beaten by a lot of teams, you know that their fans are going to turn, and that can only be a good thing for the opposition.
“Coming to a ground like this can play into the hands of the opposition, you raise your game, the facilities are great.
“Their team is struggling, so it’s a nice place to come to play your football.
“There’s no hostility against you, nothing like that. As soon as we got the goals, it felt very comfortable.”
It was Sears’ first start for Ipswich since Boxing Day – he hasn’t scored a goal since last April.
He put Adam Matthews under pressure for the crucial second goal before half-time. Sears added: “I think that the lads wanted me to have it, the way they celebrated with me, but it’s going to go down as an own goal.”
Sunderland have only won two home games this season, beating Fulham and Hull City, having gone almost an entire year without a home win.
The Stadium of Light has proved to be a difficult place for Sunderland, deep in a Championship relegation fight, to pick up points, and Sears has provided some insight.
The ex-West Ham striker said: “You could see that Sunderland’s heads dropped as soon as we scored the first goal.
“Goals change games, because they started well and were on top, so we had to weather a bit of a storm.
“We knew that if we could get the first goal it would change everything. After the second goal, it really did turn.
“You see it all the time, teams at the bottom.
“They have a spell, and as soon as they go behind it’s the same old story, as if ‘here we go again’. We’ve been in that position and we know what it feels like.
“Especially at a stadium like this. It’s a Premier League stadium, so when they’re struggling in the Championship and getting beaten by a lot of teams, you know that their fans are going to turn, and that can only be a good thing for the opposition.
“Coming to a ground like this can play into the hands of the opposition, you raise your game, the facilities are great.
“Their team is struggling, so it’s a nice place to come to play your football.
“There’s no hostility against you, nothing like that. As soon as we got the goals, it felt very comfortable.”
It was Sears’ first start for Ipswich since Boxing Day – he hasn’t scored a goal since last April.
He put Adam Matthews under pressure for the crucial second goal before half-time. Sears added: “I think that the lads wanted me to have it, the way they celebrated with me, but it’s going to go down as an own goal.”
