Three To Watch: The trio of Burton dangermen hoping to dent Sunderland’s confidence even further

Liam Boyce

19/20 Games/Goals: 19/7

He may be out of form at present, but The Brewers’ little sniffer is still their biggest threat. From Northern Ireland to the Pirelli via the Bundesliga and the SPL is an interesting career path, but one Boyce has revelled in, scoring goals for almost every club he’s been at.

You may have tried your very best to erase it from your minds - and by God, we’ve all tried - but the goal that condemned the Lads to the third tier was scored by Boyce, as he nodded home at the Stadium of Light in the 90th minute approximately eighteen months ago.

Who’d bet on him doing the same again tonight? It would be oh so very Sunderland.

Scott Fraser

19/20 Games/Goals: 16/4

Scottish midfielder Scott Fraser is relishing his second season at the Pirelli, and has turned into Nigel Clough’s key man in the centre of the park after Jamie Allen’s departure to Coventry City in the summer.

A product of the Dundee United youth system, Clough plucked the goal-scoring middle man from the Scottish Championship last summer, and he has enjoyed great success at Burton, where he notched six goals last term and was part of the team that reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals. He’s already started this season in scintillating form, scoring four and assisting four in just 16 games.

David Templeton

19/20 Games/Goals: 12/4

The Glaswegian winger is finding his feet again in Staffordshire after falling off the footballing map following his release from Rangers.

Once seen as Scotland’s next big thing, Templeton made the much-maligned move to boyhood club Rangers in 2012 whilst they were in the Scottish Third Division, departing SPL side Hearts for a reported fee of £700k.

Despite scoring 15 goals in 28 games in his first season at Ibrox, a combination of injury and back-to-back promotions meant the youngster lost his place in the side and was released in 2016.

He remained without a club in 2016, before joining up with Hamilton Academical for a year.

He joined Clough’s Burton in 2018 on a free transfer and, when injury free, has shown flashes of the player who was once so highly rated.