By Aston
January 12 2007

STB brings you team news, manager previews, betting odds and officials ahead of Towns game against Sunderland tomorrow (KO 3:00pm).

The Black Cats look set to be without Stanislav Varga, Steve Caldwell, Kenny Cunningham, Graham Kavanagh and Stephen Wright all of whom are injured while Liam Miller is suspended.

 

Anthony Stokes is set to make his debut for Sunderland and defenders Nyron Nosworthy and Danny Collins are both expected to return from injury.

 

Sunderland boss Roy Keane: “We know Ipswich will be tough and well organised and a difficult team to beat.

 

“But we have to look beyond that consideration now and go out there thinking about the need to win games.

 

“We've strengthened the squad in the last few days and we've now got the players available to us which should allow us to go on a good run. And we are keen to put together a run which will push into the play off positions.

 

“We've had chances in the past to break into the top six but we haven't taken them. Now we've got to look at doing that.

 

“We've lost too many games this season, without a doubt and we're getting to the stage where every single loss from now on will hurt us. Any defeats in the second half of the season are going to be very difficult to make up.

 

“We had one or two disappointments in the first half of the season and one of them was at Ipswich, when we gave some bad goals away. Another was at Preston in the League when we lost 4-1.

 

“We can't afford any more slip-ups like in those game, giving two or three sloppy goals away. If you do that, you're going to get nowhere as a team.”

 

Alan Lee, Gary Roberts and Gavin Williams are expected to start despite a trip to Amsterdam earlier this month. David Wright is expected to start after completing his transfer from Wigan and Lewis Price should return to goal after being rested for the FA Cup tie against Chester.

 

Town squad: Brittain, Bruce, Clarke, Currie, De Vos, Garvan, Harding, Haynes, Lee, Legwinski, Naylor, Peters, Price, Richards, Roberts, Supple, Williams, Wright.

 

Town manager Jim Magilton: “I have never had a win up there yet I always look forward to going there. They are really passionate fans and there is always a good atmosphere.

 

“That is sure to be the case tomorrow because Sunderland are on a steady climb up the Championship table and their supporters are starting to think in terms of maybe being back in the Premiership next season.”

 

“It was a good, competitive game at our place and on the balance of play I'm sure Roy would have felt a bit hard done by after our 3-1 win.

 

“Two mistakes cost them in the end but they were in it right to the death and it could well have gone a different way. He has improved his squad since then, bringing in more of his own men.

 

“At the same time we have been better away from home in the league and in my view we played quite well at both Coventry and West Brom. We got three points from the two games but I felt we deserved a little bit more than that.”

 

Betting Odds (found using Sportsnetwork Odds Checker):

Sunderland: 91/100

Draw: 47/20

Town: 15/4

 

Officials:

Referee: L Mason

Assistants: M Murphy and A Halliday

Fourth Official: G J Sutton

 

Source: Sunderland Echo, Evening Star

 

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