Match Day Thread Portsmouth v Sunderland - Tuesday 9th March - KO 19:45

Sunderland travel to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth in the SkyBet League One.

Last time out Sunderland beat Rochdale and Portsmouth lost at Northampton.
Sunderland continued to improve their chances of automatic promotion with another hard fought win at the Stadium of Light. Goals from Dion Sanderson and Charlie Wyke mean that the Black Cats are 5 points off top spot with 2 games in hand of leaders Hull City.
Lee Johnson could be without Carl Winchester but is hopeful that Lynden Gooch will recover from a calf strain. Grant Leadbitter was back training last week despite the dislocated shoulder that he suffered at Crewe.
The Black Cats lost 3-1 at home to Portsmouth earlier in the season, but the south coast club are on a bad run of form having lost 4 of their last 6 games, collecting only 4 points from a possible 18.
The Blues have decided to keep their under-fire boss Kenny Jackett at the helm, following yesterday’s 4-1 embarrassment at Northampton. The club’s board are remaining squarely behind the 59-year-old, in the wake of a result which goes down as one of the low points in the club’s modern history.
Lee Johnson:
“There’s a lot of football still to play, that’s for sure, but you want to time your run – and now’s the time. We know how difficult our March is, and there might be a few bumps in the road.”
“Confidence is high, there are a few things we can get better at, but the group has been excellent since we came in. The strength in depth is there and we have to keep building on it and win more games.”
“Our strength in depth is showing now with the injuries that we have had. Most teams have them when the games come thick and fast, but the lads coming in have been excellent. Luke O’Nien, Dan Neil, Ollie Younger … they have all come in of late and done well.”
“It is a good game on Tuesday, Portsmouth are a good side. We will have a game plan and we have to take care of the business ourselves, no matter who we face. We have been doing that of late, and it must continue.”
Kenny Jackett:
‘Hopefully James (Bolton) can now build on his appearance. He has pushed himself through in the previous 24 hours to get himself right. We checked again in the morning and he felt that he was good to come on at some stage if we needed it.”
“Sometimes until you actually do play, you never quite know. That bit at the end of the game will help him and give him confidence in terms of him being sure that his ankle was all right. He was also fine at the end of the game, and is in contention for Tuesday.”
“Callum (Johnson) is still out for another one or two weeks. We’ve had a few injuries at right-back recently and you do have these spells in football. It’s unfortunate but it happens.”
“Haji (Mnoga) had a very, very tight groin on Friday. He didn’t feel that he could strike a ball properly, it was then too close to really push him through to the game.”

Match Appointments:
Referee: DAVID ROCK
Assistant Referees: Gareth Viccars and Mark Derrien
Fourth Official: Craig Hicks

Team Line ups
Sunderland: Burge; Younger, Sanderson, O’Nien; Jones, Scowen, Power, McFadzean; O’Brien, McGeady, Wyke.

Subs: Matthews, Maguire, Diamond, Neil, Gooch, Vokins, Almond.
Injured: Xhemajli, Kimpioka, Hume, Stewart, Willis, Wright, Leadbitter, McLaughlin, Flanagan.

Portsmouth: (4-2-3-1) MacGillivray, Bolton, Nicolaisen, Raggett, Brown, Naylor, Cannon, Harness, Byers, Curtis, Marquis
Subs: Williams, Harrison, Watmough, Daniels, Ward, White, Hiwula-Mayifuila
Injured: Mnoga, Johnson

Betting Odds:
Home 8/5 Away 13/8 Draw 11/6

My two pence:
I’m very happy with a 2-0 win, not our best performance but we did just enough. It would have been nice to improve our goal difference with a few more goals, but getting the 3 points was much more important.
At least I’m no longer in an office full of Portsmouth fans. I just hope that we can do what they did to us earlier this season and set ourselves up nicely for Sunday’s day out at Wembley.
I'm going for a 3-1 away win.

Live on Sky Sports Football from 19:30

Ha’way the Lads

 

A win would be fantastic, but if we keep our unbeaten run going I will be happy.

 

I echo what RAW says, but they are in rotten form and there for the taking.

A battling 2-1 and on to Wembley!

 

Portsmouth would want to show a response after getting hammered yesterday but I think they'll also have one eye on the cup final on Saturday. With the way we're playing, the never say die attitude and the way LJ uses his substitutions to change the game if it's needed, I'll think we'll win. Going for a 2 goal win, either 2-0 or 3-1

 

Great thread as usual, im going for 2 - 0 to the lads, Wyke and McGeady.
My top 5 prediction after Tuesday.....
pld pts
Peterborough 33 65
Hull 35 62
Sunderland 33 60
Lincoln 33 60
Doncaster 31 55

 

I’ll have a bit of that son!

 

Will be sweetest win of the season so far if it happens.

 

Great thread as per usual
Would settle for a draw but really think we will get a win
And with hull playing Peterborough could be a massive win

 

I would take a point now but I think such is the confidence in our team, the strength of character I think they would be disappointed if they did not get the win.

Once again an ugly 1-0 will suffice.

 

Reckon it's deffo curtains for Jacket if we win.

 

I think he may help us. Have they stopped playing for him?

 

RTB

Can we win, Yes, but will we?

Wyke and McGeady to start, then whoever is fit in the back four..

So it is on SKY that even saves a tenner

I know I sound like a broken record, for me beating Portsmouth is more important than winning on Sunday, when we are also on TV.

 

nice thread again RTB i enjoy the read. I cant see past a win, they have too much on their plate and i think a 3-1 for us is in order, there 1 goal coming though McFad as he is prone to make howlers so i hope the team can cover well for those moments he goes a wander, im really starting to enjoy the footy now been a while since i had this much confidence in the team so well done lads and keep it going

 

Dunno, but he's under pressure, hopefully he doesn't get any response out of the fcukers on Tuesday night.

 

after the win ill get his jacket

 

1-0’s have feeling too man.

Jeez.

 

0-0
Similar game to the play off semi final

 

Pompey getting taken over by Phil Collins, no jacket required.

 

Let’s turn these hoors over!!

1-3 to The Lads.

Bart

 

Go for it lads. Forget about Sunday this is far more important. OK they were better team earlier this season when they beat us at SOL but as dylan would say the times they are achanging

Win 2-1 for us, and ensure that all main players are fit for the Accrington match