TEAM NEWS Right-back Phil Bardsley could be recalled in place of Santiago Vergini after completing a two-game suspension. However, Ondrej Celustka and Craig Gardner remain unavailable through injury and illness respectively. Craig Bellamy should feature for Cardiff after overcoming the virus which kept him out of the Stoke draw. But Craig Noone remains absent with an abdominal problem, while club captain Mark Hudson is still sidelined with a hamstring injury. MATCH PREVIEW As the bums start to reach their squeakiest, so the significance of the fixtures intensifies, and while the result of the meeting between Sunderland and Cardiff City won't finally settle which of them gets relegated, the loser will surely feel doomed. Mark Lawrenson Football analyst "Sunderland are not great defensively so they have got to score goals to get anything out of games. "Having Adam Johnson in their team always helps because he makes things happen and Connor Wickham is putting the chances away. If he keeps doing that, they have a chance of beating By the time they reach their very own "high noon" all the teams immediately above them will have played. Depending on the results at Old Trafford and The Hawthorns respectively, both Norwich and West Brom could be within their grasp. Time is running out and though the Black Cats have an extra game from which to secure the necessary points for survival, if they were to give up all three to Sunday's visitors the negative psychological effect could be terminal. Following their crushing 5-1 hammering by Spurs earlier this month, Gus Poyet suggested that only a miracle could save them - his prayers were soon answered with four improbable points in four days away at Manchester City then Chelsea. With three of their remaining four games at home to fellow strugglers Cardiff, West Brom and Swansea, despite being bottom of the table going into the weekend there's a real sense that they could complete a miraculous escape. But just like their hosts, the Bluebirds have picked up four points in two games to revive their flagging fortunes and will come to the Stadium of Light with equally positive energy. With one less game to play - they face Newcastle and Chelsea to conclude - they too will doubtless feel anything less than a victory will end their challenge to remain afloat. Without a win on Wearside since 1927, history is very much against them, as too is their away record of 10 points and a paltry two victories some seven months apart. With so much at stake for both sides, this won't be a fixture for the faint-hearted! MATCH FACTS Sunderland and Cardiff have only met seven times in the last 11 years, including twice in a 2003-04 First Division campaign which saw the Black Cats lose in the play-off semi-finals and the Bluebirds finish mid-table. This is their first top-flight meeting in the north-east since March 1957. Cardiff's last top-flight win at Sunderland came in December 1927. Sunderland Sunderland's 2-1 victory over title-chasing Chelsea last Saturday was their first league win in 10 league matches since beating Newcastle 3-0 on 1 February. They have taken only eight points from 15 games against teams currently in the bottom half of the table, 10 fewer than any other side. They have scored just one goal in six home games against the teams currently in the bottom half. Sunderland have kept only one clean sheet in their last 15 top-flight fixtures. Six of Sunderland's seven league wins this season have come against top-half opposition. Connor Wickham has started five of Sunderland's six league games since being recalled from a loan spell at Leeds United. The 20-year-old has scored three goals in his last two games, having scored just once in his first 37 Premier League appearances. Winger Adam Johnson is Gus Poyet's top scorer this campaign, but he has netted only once in 10 league matches. Midfielder Lee Cattermole will make his 100th league appearance for the Black Cats if selected. Cardiff City Cardiff have gone unbeaten in consecutive league games for the first time since early November. Only once, back in September, have they managed three games in a row undefeated. The Bluebirds have conceded 15 goals in their last six games - an average of 2.50 goals per fixture. Only Norwich City (eight) have taken fewer away points this season than Cardiff City (10). Peter Whittingham's successfully converted penalty against Stoke on Saturday was Cardiff's first of the campaign. They also conceded their first spot-kick of the season in the same fixture. In four seasons as a Sunderland striker, Fraizer Campbell scored six league goals - as many as he has managed this season.
Draw game is my tip as neither team can lose and both will play defensively, This game will be all about who's manager has the best game plan in a winner takes all match. It's bigger than any cup final because of the money involved. good luck.
Well thats that. I am sick of this bloody league anyway. Disgusting defending by Cala, but outside the box, and goalscoring opportunity not stopped as he carried on and nearly scored. Never mind - its not like we havent had about 456 penalties not given by the wonderfully objective pl referees this season is it? Refs arent the reason that we are going down, but I have seen enough in one season to tell me that the idea that referees are 100% objective and call every decision with their eyes, ignoring the occasion, the teams involved and the reaction of the crowd is nothing but romantic myth.
Thats it then back to the championship for cardiff, I was expecting cardiff and baby face to be up for this today with the amount of money involved, there is still half a game to go but it's a mountain to climb now and i cant see them good enough under ole to pull out a miracle.
Terrible red, Phil Dowd is not the right ref for this type of game. Ruined the game, and your chance of staying up.
I am sorry but it looks as though it was a penalty as he still had hold of him in the box even though it started outside.
Cardiff down to ten men will have no option now other than to go for it that leaves them vulnerable to a break away goal, but what other option do they have. Should have kept malky.
