Crunch tie is too close to call, says Goodman

DON Goodman says he “cannot split” Sunderland or Sheffield Wednesday heading into their League One play-off semi-final.

The two sides have nearidentical records in the league this season both home and away.

The Black Cats ran out 5-0 victors against the Owls last time out at the Stadium of Light but were brushed aside by Darren Moore’s side in a 3-0 defeat at Hillsborough earlier in the campaign.

Goodman and fellow pundit David Prutton were in agreement the two heavyweights of English football should not be languishing in the third tier - but both struggled to pick a winner.

Prutton said: “This has the feel of what would have been a Premier League game in all but name.

“It is two teams way off where they should be with the chance to take that small step back towards where they believe they should be.

“The fact you have a League One play-off semi-final, which collectively could be played over the two legs in front of 80,000 people, is just staggering really.”

Former Sunderland forward Goodman added: “When I looked at this as a tie I just could not split them.

“I am looking at Sheffield Wednesday, they have lost one in their last 11 and Sunderland are unbeaten in 13.

“I looked at the record against the top six - Wednesday, won six, drawn one, lost three.

“Sunderland, won five, drawn two, lost three. Nothing in it.

“Both have momentum, both have expectation, both have a pressure to get back to the Championship.

“Both have injuries to key players - Nathan Broadhead limped off for Sunderland, Barry Bannan for Sheffield Wednesday.

“Sheffield Wednesday beat Sunderland 3-0, Sunderland beat Sheffield Wednesday 5-0.

“How on earth do you unravel that? It literally is who is going to turn up on the day and then who is going to turn up on the following day when it matters.

“Because honestly - although I have a vested interest in my heart here - I have no clue as to who is going to prevail.

“I would not expect a 3-0 or a 5-0, as we have had in the regular season, in the first leg. I cannot even think about who I would expect to come out on top.”