Play-off trip proving just the ticket for Black Cats

SUNDERLAND have sold out their away allocation for the second leg of their League One play-off semi-final at Hillsborough.

The Black Cats were given 2,000 tickets for the match against Sheffield Wednesday, the minimum amount the Owls could have provided.

The second leg is set to take place on Monday with kick off at 7.45.

Tickets are still on sale for the first leg at the Stadium of Light tomorrow night, with the Wearsiders hoping to surpass the 40,000-ticket mark.

If they were to sell that amount it would surpass the highest attendance of the season, which currently stands at 38,395.

That was the number of red and white supporters who crammed into the Stadium of Light to see Jermain Defoe make his second homecoming against Doncaster Rovers.

Sunderland have similarly handed Sheffield Wednesday 2,000 tickets in the hope the remaining tickets will be snapped up by home supporters - with the Owls also selling out their away allocation.

The magnitude of the crunch fixture is only emphasised by the demand for tickets.

Wednesday are expecting to sell around 34,000 tickets for the second leg, making it the most attended League One play-off semi-final game over two legs.

The current record belongs to Leeds United and Millwall, who had 50,264 people at both matches in 2009.