Oldham clash date confirmed
A DATE has been confirmed for Sunderland’s second-round tie at Oldham Athletic in the Papa John’s Trophy.
The Black Cats will travel midweek to Bounday Park to face the League Two opposition on December 8, kick-off 7pm.
It adds to a congested December schedule for Phil Parkinson’s side, with the latest fixture sandwiched between a home clash with Wigan Athletic and a trip to Lincoln City.
Sunderland booked their place in the knockout stages of the competition despite a defeat to Fleetwood Town in their last Group A encounter.
Sunderland opened the competition with an emphatic 8-1 victory over Aston Villa’s under-21s at the Stadium of Light in September. Five goals in the final quarter of an hour sealed a resounding victory after a brace from Charlie Wyke and a header from Morgan Feeney.
The Black Cats made it two wins in a row with another highscoring home encounter, earning a 5-3 victory over Carlisle United in October. A late double from Jon Mellish setup a tense finale, but academy graduate Jack Diamond made sure of the win with an injury-time strike.
However, Sunderland fell to defeat against their League One rivals Fleetwood on November 10. Callum McFadzean gave the much-changed visitors an early lead, but goals from Barrie McKay and Mark Duffy before the hour claimed the victory for Joey Barton’s side.
A club statement read: “Sunderland will face Oldham Athletic on Tuesday 8 December in the Papa John’s Trophy second round (KO 7pm).
“After progressing through the group stage, the Black Cats continue their pursuit of a Wembley return at Boundary Park.”