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Last Time Out...
No change after our win at Wembley other than everyone gained a point for the win. Nobody went for a win via the only goal of the game and Lynden Gooch wasn’t in our chosen few for the first goalscorer.
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Let’s find out if our panel back us to return to League One action in style, and review this round of predictions...
Philip Butler Predicts...
Score Prediction: Accrington Stanley 0-3 Sunderland
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Charlie Wyke
Well firstly it’s pretty difficult to predict Sunderland to concede at the minute, and it’s even harder to see us failing to win as we continued our good run of form with another win and clean sheet in the cup final on Sunday.
Charlie Wyke wasn’t on the scoresheet at the weekend, but with Aiden McGeady playing an almost purely creative role and Lynden Gooch scoring on Sunday it’s the big man’s turn tonight.
Accrington started the season well, but have regressed to their mean since the turn of the year so a comfortable victory should be on the card for the men in red and white.
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Malcolm Dugdale Predicts...
Score Prediction: Accrington Stanley 1-3 Sunderland
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Aiden McGeady
Accy have shipped 14 goals in the last seven games and only taken five points from the 21 available. This run has dropped them away from being a major challenger for a top two berth (with loads of games in hand too, at one point), to being hopeful for playoffs, if they can turn results around.
If you look at our record we have only let in two goals across the same number of games, and those came when switching off away to Crewe for the first half. Even from that we scrambled a point with two world class drives from distance, meaning we have only dropped two points in the same 21. We need to maintain that form tonight and make sure there is no dip in performance post our victory at Wembley.
The killer pass from Aiden McGeady made a real difference Sunday gone, but I fancy him and Charlie to relight their fire tonight, and that would be welcome after Charlie was quiet in the capital. Accy may get one but we may get 5-6 if we are firing on pride and confidence like we should be. Aiden is due a screamer so he is my first score choice, but Chaz will no doubt be in the mix too.
Ha’way lads, the real deal starts here. Let’s take this league title home, starting as we left off last Tuesday.
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Matthew Foster Predicts...
Score Prediction: Accrington Stanley (who are they?) 0-2 Sunderland
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Charlie Wyke
Rewind to 2019, our first game after our Final defeat came against tonight’s opponents, but it would be one of only three victories in our last nine games.
However, the confidence is pouring off this team following our Wembley success, and there’s a real togetherness amongst the players, and that will be key if we are to go up automatically.
Accrington have hit a bad patch of form of late with two wins in ten, and are starting to lose ground on the play-off places.
With being on such a high, we are susceptible to coming crashing back down to earth.
But I highly doubt Johnson would allow us to become complacent, and I think we’ll be right up for this.
I would usually back Accrington to score, but given our defensive solidity, I’m going for another shutout and Charlie to get a brace!
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Jack Howe-Gingell Predicts...
Score Prediction: Accrington Stanley 0-2 Sunderland
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Charlie Wyke
With the Wembley monkey off our back and a few cans drank, we’re back to the most important part of our season - the promotion push.
Accrington have had a good season by their standards, sitting four points outside the playoffs. Despite this, they have lost four of their last six games, though have scored in all but one of them. Dion Charles has a good return with 16 goals, and their propensity to score plus his tally will require attention.
That said, we’re off the back of a Wembley win and an excellent run in the league. Accrington should be small fry, and we need keep on pushing in the right direction.
I fancy us to win relatively easily, and we have the ability to call upon several first teamers who were unavailable for the final, something that not many in this division could do. I’m sure Accrington’s chairman will have a whinge about our riches, and hopefully that will be on the back of another dominant display.
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Will Jones Predicts...
Score Prediction: Accrington Stanley 0-3 Sunderland
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Aiden McGeady
After only conceding in one of the last seven, and against a team dropping in form, I believe confidence and belief alone can take this team to another three points.
Add the fact we are slowly getting our team back from the physio’s room, Dion has had a week’s rest and the quality of the team to find those defining moments are becoming increasingly possible.
I am of the belief that the focus now being fully on the league can benefit us.
Wednesday is one of the (many) games in hand on Hull, one we can reduce the deficit and show we mean business. This is who we are now. The ones who take their chances. Not the ones who fold.
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Martin Wanless Predicts...
Score Prediction: Accrington Stanley 1-3 Sunderland
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Max Power
While history thankfully didn’t repeat itself on Sunday, I’m hoping it does in terms of our recent performances at Accrington. We’ve scored three on both occasions, bar the game that was washed away, and I’m hoping we’ll make it a hat trick of trebles tonight.
No doubt Sanderson and Winchester will return to the side after being cup tied at the weekend – Jones too if he’s fit – but given it’s unlikely any of the other injured players will be back Johnson doesn’t have much room to move selection wise.
Some of the results went our way last night, but we really need to be hunting down Peterborough and Hull – and three points tonight will keep them firmly in our sights.