CATS TO KEEP NERVE – BENNO
SUNDERLAND LEGEND GARY BENNETT DESPERATE FOR BLACK CATS TO END THEIR WEMBLEY HOODOO
Gary Bennett has backed Sunderland to hold their nerve in the intense pressure cooker of the League One play-off final against Charlton Athletic - and lay their Wembley demons to rest.
The Sunderland legend also believes the experience of the Checkatrade Trophy final less than two months ago will help the Black Cats come 3pm on Sunday when the allor-nothing clash kicks off.
Sunderland and Charlton have history at Wembley, their infamous 1998 First Division play-off final ending in a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat.
The Black Cats haven’t won at Wembley in seven attempts since their 1973 FA Cup triumph but former skipper Bennett has backed Jack Ross’ side to handle the pressure.
Ross is sweating on the fitness of player-of-the-season Aiden McGeady, the winger having missed the past few games with a fractured foot that the club are having to manage.
Ross hasn’t ruled him out yet and Bennett says his ability on a wide Wembley pitch could prove key - but if he doesn’t feature, then Chris Maguire has been backed to star.
Bennett said: “Charlton, going into the play-offs, were the in-form team, the team a lot of people feared but in their second leg they didn’t have it all their own way.
“Form goes out the window at Wembley, it is who handles the pressure and the occasion best.
“That is who will win the game.
“It will help Sunderland having played there recently, it should do as they have had a feel of the stadium and know what it is all about, the atmosphere and occasion.
“That should help but it is all about how we set-up, how we go about the game.
“You look at Wembley, it has width, and it is there you can cause problems, the big news will be whether Aiden McGeady will be there - he is a key player, he showed that in theCheckatradeTrophyfinal.
“Charlton will be very wary of him and, given the occasion, even if he is only 80 per cent fit he will want to play.”
If McGeady doesn’t make it, then Bennett believes Maguire - recently back from a fractured leg - could have a big say.
Bennett added: “Chris Maguire has impressed recently and it is his sort of occasion, his stage to shine.
“Fingers crossed also that Charlie Wyke puts in the same level of performance, the icing on the cake for him would be a goal.
“If they can get the attitude and mentality right then I’d back them to win the game.
“We are well equipped going into the game.
“Sunderland can cause Charlton Athletic problems, it just depends how they set up; you can’t be too defensive or too open, it is about getting that balance right.
“Jack Ross has done an excellent job this season.
“Disappointed obviously that they haven’t gone up automatically but nobody has the divine right to do that.
“People will point to Sunderland drawing too many games but if they win on Sunday at Wembley and go up then you’ll certainly be thinking we’ve had a better season than we’d thought.
“It is all-or-nothing at Wembley.
“Don’t win and people will be saying it has been a disappointing season.
“That 90 minutes makes or breaks the season.
“Sunderland were excellent against Portsmouth, we talked before a ball was kicked about managing the game and the way they were set-up, they managed it well.
“Okay, it wasn’t a spectacle but they did what they had to do.”
‘Form goes out of the window at Wembley, it’s who handles the pressure and occason best.’
Bennett, who made more than 350 Sunderland appearances, was in the crowd the last time these two sides did battle in a play-off final at Wembley and he doesn’t believe 1998 will have any bearing on Sunday’s outcome.
Bennett added: “I went to the ‘98 game against Charlton, it was an unbelievable game.
“It can play on supporters’ minds and perhaps it is a case of ‘we don’t want to be playing Charlton because of what happened last time’ but you are talking about one game, it is not as if we have played them four or five times at Wembley and lost.
“It was one game and that game could have gone either way. Seven times I have watchedSunderlandatWembley and not seen them win - that run has to break sometime!”