Ross is confident of a Barn-storming show
JACK Ross believes Sunderland will rise to the occasion as they prepare to face promotion rivals Barnsley at Oakwell tonight.
The game pits the second-placed Tykes against the third-placed Black Cats and, with four points standing between the two sides, is set to have a major bearing on the battle for automatic promotion.
Sunderland also have a match in hand on the South Yorkshire side, meaning a victory would leave their chances of securing automatic promotion in their own hands.
The Wearsiders won 4-2 in the reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light at the end of November and Ross says his side prefers to play against teams who are as open and expansive as themselves, rather than against teams who sit back and try to frustrate.
Ross (left), whose side goes into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw at Wycombe, said: “It is a brilliant game for us and I think everyone is excited about it for different reasons.
“There are the tensions it will create, where both teams are in the league and the seasons they have had.
“Saturday at Wycombe was a really tough game.
“It was nothing we did not expect but we needed to deal with it better.
“The game tonight will be very different.
“Barnsley are a good team but generally we respond well to these type of matches and occasions.
“There are no guarantees, we could play well and still not win the game, but I would expect this game to bring out the best in the players.
“From Barnsley’s point of view, they will look forward to us coming because they know we will come and try to win the game rather than just sit in.”
Sunderland are looking to extend their 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions, while Barnsley have gone 16 unbeaten in the league.
Ross added: “Their form over the season has been good but so has ours - that is why we are so close to
them in the table. That is what makes this such a good fixture because it is two teams who have produced results consistently over the course of the season.”
■ GEORGE Honeyman will be eligible to play in the Checkatrade Trophy final - despite Sunderland losing their appeal against their skipper’s weekend red card.
The FA have rejected Sunderland’s attempt to overturn the three-game ban Honeyman was handed following his dismissal in the 1-1 draw at Wycombe Wanderers.
However, they have also revealed the Checkatrade Trophy disciplinary rules have changed mid-competition, which means Honeyman will be able to lead Sunderland out for the final against Portsmouth at Wembley on March 31 even though he will not have completed his ban.
His suspension will rule him out of the next three league games against Barnsley tonight, at home to Walsall on
Saturday and the trip to Accrington Stanley on April 3.
Honeyman was sent off in injurytime at Wycombe after angrily pushing Chairboys’ assistant manager Richard Dobson who had kicked the ball away, preventing the Black Cats’ taking a throw-in as they pushed for a winning goal.
That incident sparked a melee on the sidelines involving players and staff from both clubs.