Roker Report Score Predictions: Can SAFC bounce back in the League Cup against Crewe?

Predictions League Table - Latest Standings

The new season Predictions League table didn’t need much updating on Sunday after our league home record fell at the first fence live on Sky TV against Ipswich Town.

Despite being the better side in the first half, the lads failed to convert the chances created, the best of which fell at pace to young Jobe Bellingham after a parry from an Ekwah shot from distance.

Within an hour we found ourselves two down after a deflection off Broadhead and a decent strike from Hirst. Despite the team on the pitch giving it their all for the rest of normal time as well as the full 13 minutes of added time (meaning we played about half an hour with one man fewer, after Hume was shown a second yellow), we were unable to claw back the two-goal lead gained by Ipswich.

Dan Neil’s 86th-minute strike gave us hope by proving that we could score with a man down, but his second great effort, which the keeper deflected onto the post in the dying moments, said it all. It was not going to be our day.

None of the boys predicted Dan scoring first, and they also failed to call a loss. Nothing to report on the points league table given the above, but we are all very hopeful the team can turn our form around against Crewe in the EFL Cup

Hopefully, the home form in the cups can last a bit longer than the league form did!

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How the points are awarded...

Just a quick reminder on how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:

• Correct score = 3 points
• Correct outcome (but not correct score) = 1 point
• Correct first Sunderland goalscorer = 1 point (no goal scorer is a valid call)
• Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = TBC at Malc’s discretion…

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Malc Dugdale predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2 Crewe 0

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Chris Rigg

Sunderland will ring the changes tonight, and young Chris Rigg will be keen to show the gaffer he is a viable option, given how our front line players failed to convert chances in the loss to Ipswich on Sunday.

With the best chances coming from Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham, this could be a good time for a supporting striker to stake a claim for a spot in the first 11, at least till all our attackers are fit and all transfers are completed.

Crewe drew 2-2 at home at the weekend and only managed that through scoring a second goal after Mansfield Town had a man sent off with over half an hour to go.

If we can keep 11 men on the pitch and the hunger of the wider squad does what we would want it to do, we should see a comfortable win and a couple of goals.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Matty Foster predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 3 Crewe 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Jewison Bennette

With such little recovery time between games, I think it’s fair to say we’ll make wholesale changes tonight.

We face League Two Crewe, who will undoubtedly head north with their eyes on an upset.

It was less than two years since this was a league fixture, with both clubs experiencing vastly differing fortunes.

This is an opportunity for some of the fringe players to impress, regardless of the opposition.

We’ve never lost to Crewe on home soil and have only ever suffered two defeats at their hands.

One of those came via penalty shootout, so let’s hope we get it done in 90 minutes!

Photo by Martin Swinney/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images,

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Bomber Davies predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 6 Crewe 0

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Nectar Triantis

Bomber forgot to send in his forecast score, probably due to these first two games being so close to each other’s, so he gets a firm warning from the predictions lead Malc, and has a pretty long odds score submitted on his behalf.

All that said, if we find a defender who can score from some of these set pieces, and if a very changed side can bang in six against Crewe, we will all be happy.

Everything is crossed!

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Martin Wanless predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 3 Crewe 2

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Abdoullah Ba

It should be quite an open game tonight, given we’ve got no defensive midfielders, so I’m going for an entertaining 3-2 victory. It’s likely to be a fully rotated team, and Ba will be in the starting lineup, so I’m going for him to get the opener.

Photo by Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images

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Will Jones predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 1 Crewe 0

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Chris Rigg

After a poor afternoon on Wearside, the lads need to get back into the swing of things and beat some lower league opposition.

With a rotated side, I expect it to be a bit of a dry affair but one for the young fringe players to get into the squad for the weekend.

Hopefully, we can see some star performances and some drive to push on and get into the next round.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Jack Howe-Gingell predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2 Crewe 0

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Bradley Dack

I’m expecting a completely changed 11 after Sunday’s disappointment, and perhaps a chance for some to show they have something to offer.

I’m intrigued by a possible debut for Bradley Dack, as has been alluded to by Tony Mowbray. He was a favourite of his during his Blackburn days after signing him from Gillingham. If we could get him near his form (and it wasn’t bad last season, with context) during his earlier years at Blackburn, we could have a real winner.

It might seem folly to go for a win with a clean sheet, but I’ll back us to do a professional job.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images