Sunderland host Huddersfield Town in the Championship. Last time out Sunderland beat Birmingham and Huddersfield lost at Swansea. Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland grabbed a vital 3 points with a 2-1 home win but had to hang onto the lead when Dennis Cirkin was dismissed for a second yellow card with 12 minutes left. The Black Cat’s are 2 points away from a play-off position and a win against Huddersfield would move them up to 6th position in the table, with the other play-off contenders not in action until Wednesday. Dennis Cirkin is suspended for this game. Huddersfield are in 19th place with 43 points and are just one point above Reading in the relegation zone. The 1-0 defeat at Swansea was the Terriers first in 6 games. Much travelled striker Martyn Waghorn started his career in Sunderland’s youth team from the age of 8 and made 6 appearances for the first team. He is currently on loan from Coventry and has scored 1 goal in 11 appearances for the Terriers. Tony Mowbray: "At the moment it's one point. We're competing at the right end of the league. It's exciting and I've just said to the players let's make it exciting right to the death. "Let's go to Preston on the last day with something to play for. But we can only do that by getting results in the next three games, starting Tuesday with hopefully three points against Huddersfield." "It was an important time to score our goal, we started really sharp, creating chances. Then with one of their first attacks, they score. It was important for us to score before half-time to give the dressing room confidence we could go on and win the game. "We do have players who can unlock the best defensive units. We found a way in what was a tough, attritional game. "But we kept going and we found a way, so I'm pleased for the players and pleased for the supporters, and we are already in the dressing room looking forward to Tuesday night. We'll be in tomorrow to see who is fit and available, obviously Dennis is suspended now so that throws another selection issue into the scenario for us but we are looking forward to Tuesday and seeing if we can find three points against Huddersfield." Neil Warnock: “We knew we wouldn’t have a lot of possession, nobody does down here. “But we had one or two great chances, especially in the first half and if we had gone in front it would’ve been a different game – you would have seen them come out more and we’d have had other opportunities but we couldn’t quite finish. “To lose it with an own goal – it’s going wide when it hits Hoggy – it’s so disappointing, but when your luck’s out your luck’s out.” Match Appointments: Referee: LEIGH DOUGHTY Assistant Referees: Philip Dermott & Matthew Jones Fourth Official: Matthew Donohue Team Lineups: Sunderland AFC: (3-5-2) Patterson, Hume, Batth, O’Nien, Gooch, Neil, Ekwah, Clarke, Ba, Amad, Gelhardt. Subs: Bass, Taylor, Roberts, Pritchard, Michut, Lihadji, Anderson Injured: Embleton, Stewart, Evans, Ballard, Alese, Bennette, Huggins, Rigg. Suspended: Cirkin Huddersfield Town (3-4-1-2) Vaclík; Lees, Helik, Pearson; Kasumu Hogg (c), Edmonds Green, Rudoni, Headley; Diarra, Ward Subs:Bilokapic, Jackson, Lowton, Koroma, Waghorn, Ruffels, Simpson Injured: Nakayama, Anjorin, Nicholls, Phillips, Turton, Holmes, Knockaert Betting Odds: Sunderland 4/6 Huddersfield 4/1 Draw 29/10 Prutton Predicts: tbc My two pence: A very gritty win against Birmingham, coming from behind to turn things around in the second-half and still managed to hang onto the lead despite losing Dennis Cirkin in the closing stages. Huddersfield lost at Swansea but Warnock will have them fired up for this one, it won't be easy as they've beaten Boro, Millwall and Watford recently. I’m going for a 2-0 home win and a magical night under the lights. Live Stream: https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/live-video Available via Sky Sports (red button) Ha’way the Lads
Not much recent history between us, we won down there which makes us vulnerable trying to do the double although we managed that yesterday. Performance is pretty irrelevant now it's all about winning which I think we will but am prepared for another nervous last ten minutes, it's killing our nerves but what can you do...it is Sunderland after all. This really is the business end of the season and I expect us to do the business and keep our dream alive. Thanks RTB for all your efforts.
It's a brave man who'll predict our starting eleven and set up. Whatever happens Huddersfield will allow us possession and try to keep it tight, a point would do them while it's a 'must win' for us. Warnock brought on four 'attacking players' at Swansea but only after they'd conceded 70 minutes in. They had one decent shot all day. They'll waste time during the warm up so we'll need to be patient. An early goal and we could put half a dozen past them .... ... Ha’way the Lads, 1-0 Amad penalty in the 98th minute
Don’t really know what to expect from these, mixed bag of results recently but have beaten some top sides away, that being said can’t have promotion ambitions if you can’t beat sides at the bottom
Christ I hope not, don’t think my blood pressure could take that. Here’s to a couple of early goals and an event free game
RTB A win at home on Saturday... hush, jinx lifted. 3 wins in a row would obviously be brilliant and would keep our arithmetical chance of making the play-offs alive. So Cirkin is out... and I see RTB you have Clarke and Roberts as WBs.. That famous phrase comes to mind...bare bones.. 2-0 Amad and Clarke Ps not a big fan of Pritchard atm..l perhaps he is tired after a long season?
Many a true word is said in jest Smug, I reckon they will concede possession and frustrate us all night. I just hope we get an early goal and make them come out and play.
Pritchard is being pushed too high up imo. Still, he made the goal at Cardiff and put in a good corner for Hume's goal.... ... plus he's a calm head which we need at times. I liked the way he went straight to Roberts after he'd put that chance over the bar.
I was a big fan of his at the start of the season... but.. his dead-ball kicks have been poor for the past couple of months. At Cardiff he again hit a poor free kick, but the Cardiff Wall was worse, it went between two players... He also gets in position to score and is not converting, which I find frustrating. Although I am not sure who our replacement is, Embo, who can score, is injured, Ba or Ekwah??? If Pritchard can start finding the back of the net???
I had to go back and see if I had missed anything, great thread as per usual RTB , and I will go along with your team, we are down to the bare bones in defence certainly but Roberts at wing back, Hmmm OaU
Their is a real team spirit within the team/club if it was me and he missed such an easy chance I would have wanted to kick him but it was fist pumps all round which was good to see .
As always a splendid thread. I agree with Smug and these will give us the ball until we score. They do though have a threat on the counter and you can be sure Warnock will have them scrapping for every inch. Famous last words but if we have enough of the ball then we will score. Gelhardt in for me, Pritch out. Pritch has been a great player in our colours, but his form just isnt at it enough for me. He nevers gives in and is a leader, but we need more. Gelhardt deserves to start here. ONien in if he is available alongside Baath, even Stevie Wonder could see that is needed. Michut or Ekwah? I would keep Michut in for now personally, but have no issue at all with Ekwah. Good thing is TM knows his onions and will get it right. Haway the lads. I dont want this season to end at all. Would love a little dabble in those play offs. Off to the baggies game as well, so lets get this one won and I will do my bit for the cause down there. Will streak if needs be to waste some time
Great thread as always RTB. Half of me thinks they have had a blip and will give us such a difficult game and maybe nick it. Half of me thinks that they have had their new manager bounce and ew will win comfortably. the correct half predicts a 2-0 scoreline and a couple or three sherbets Ha'waaaaaaaaaay
Like others have said, Warnock will pack the defence and try not to give us a sniff of goal. We also need to be careful when Huddersfield have the ball as I can see Warnock telling them to hit the ground at every opportunity to try and nick a goal and get some of our players booked and/or sent off. I reckon they're gonna be time wasting from the first whistle, its going to be a night for patience and hopefully a quick goal to throw their plans out the window but I still have to go for a home win
Has to be a win, hopefully we will score early and run riot. Probably won’t happen though so a narrow 1-0 for me.
