Last trip of the season

From a poor start to the season they were third from bottom when Roy Keane took over, and after stabilising things the promotion push has taken off since the turn of the year with last week's defeat at Colchester their first reverse in 2007. Interestingly Colchester were one of the two sides below them when Keane arrived.

We all remember our home game against them in December. We were the better side and at 2-0 up with not too long to go should have certainly won it. But two goals conceded either side of a bad miss from Steve Jones and they went away with a point.

Keane made more moves in the transfer market in January. Marton Fulop made his move from Spurs a permanent one, and he also brought in Carlos Edwards from Luton, Arsenal youngster Anthony Stokes and Stern John from Coventry whilst also adding two Manchester United youngsters on loan Jonny Evans and Danny Simpson.

Players have left, including Steven Caldwell to Burnley, but in transfer fees alone there has been a significant deficit since the change of manager in the last week in August. They can afford it, it is working, the attendances have been climbing at the Stadium of Light with recent home games attracting crowds of around £40,000.

After a long run of not winning we suddenly won three in succession, RK Sunderland lost for the first time last week so maybe they will now have a poor run. It's about time, we haven't beaten them in a league game since 1973.

Click HERE to see all RK Sunderland's results this season.

This is a difficult one simply because Roy Keane is the Rafa Benitez of the Championship and rotates his squad. He's still to name the same side twice. It is probably best just to name the side that lost last week and guarantee there will be changes.

That side included their player of the year Nyron Nosworthy and was: Darren Ward, Darren Whitehead, Jonny Evans, Nyron Nosworthy, Danny Collins, Carlos Edwards, Grant Leadbitter, Dwight Yorke, Darryl Murphy, Stern John, David Connolly. Subs: Marton Fulop, Liam Miller, Ross Wallace, Stephen Elliott, Anthony Stokes.

Click HERE to see the full RK Sunderland squad.

As for Burnley, James O'Connor will not feature following his head injury on Monday in the game against West Brom. Manager Steve Cotterill has decided to rest him for this game. It is likely that we will field the side that played most of the second half in the 3-2 win over the baggies.

We should line up: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Wayne Thomas, Steven Caldwell, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Chris McCann, Steve Jones, Andy Gray, Ade Akinbiyi. Subs from: Danny Coyne, Graham Coughlan, Garreth O'Connor, John Spicer, Kyle Lafferty, Paul McVeigh.

It will be a big night for both Steven Caldwell and Andy Gray against their former clubs. For Caldwell, he'll be leading out a side again at the Stadium of Light and for Gray it will be a chance for him to prove those Mackem fans wrong, and on his 300^th league appearance.

It was two seasons ago and was Robbie Blake's last game for Burnley, and it was a game manager Steve Cotterill watched from the stands after being punished by the FA following an altercation with Richard Beeby in an earlier game.

Having gone 1-0 down, Graham Branch quickly equalised, but a second half goal earned the home side all the points in what was a disappointing game for both sides.

The teams were;

Sunderland: Thomas Myhre, Stephen Wright, Neil Collins, Gary Breen, George McCartney, Liam Lawrence, Carl Robinson, Dean Whitehead, Julio Arca (Jeff Whitley 82), Chris Brown (Marcus Stewart 73), Michael Bridges (Stephen Elliott 73). Subs not used: Ben Alnwick, Matt Piper.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Gary Cahill, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Ian Moore, James O'Connor, Micah Hyde, Graham Branch (Richard Chaplow 73), Jean-Louis Valois (Lee Roche 51), Robbie Blake. Subs not used: Joel Pilkington, Amadou Sanokho, Matt O'Neill.Collins.