Preview: Town – Sunderland

By Aston
September 22 2006

STB brings you team news, manager previews, the officials and betting odds ahead of Towns game against Sunderland tomorrow (KO 3pm).

Town will almost certainly be with out Simon Walton who has hamstring and shin problems, Fabian Wilnis and Gavin Williams are included in the squad but there are still doubts about their fitness. Alex Bruce is suspended.

 

Town manager Jim Magilton says he is looking forward to facing Keane as a manager: “The first time I came across Roy was at Anfield 16 years ago when he made his debut as a kid for Nottingham Forest in a game Liverpool won 2-0, I was at Liverpool at the time and watched this lad stand out in a game full of experienced international-class players. He was all over the place and as an ambitious youngster myself, I was jealous of him because he looked such a good player already.

 

“I went on to play against Roy many times at club level and also on the international stage and never had a cross word with him.

 

“He was a winner as a player and I'm sure he has taken that mentality with him into management and I'm looking forward to facing him across the dug-out on Saturday.

 

“I'm not surprised he has moved into management and Niall Quinn has given him an opportunity just like the Chairman and Board have given me one here so it will be two passionate Irishmen on the sidelines, both probably wishing we could still be out there in the heat of the battle.”

 

Town squad: Scott Barron, Dean Bowditch, Martin Brittain, Billy Clarke, Darren Currie, Jason De Vos, Daniel Harding, Danny Haynes, Alan Lee, Sylvain Legwinski, Jon Macken, Richard Naylor, Mark Noble, Lewis Price, Luis Sito, Shane Supple, Gavin Williams, Fabian Wilnis.

 

Sunderland will be missing Chris Brown, Stephen Elliott, David Connolly, Jon Stead and Daryl Murphy while Stan Varga and Kenny Cunningham will face late fitness tests.

 

Sunderland manager Roy Keane: “We have a few injuries but that's football and we have to deal with it, we know it will be a hard game at Ipswich. Jim has done very well and they have turned things around over the last few weeks.

 

“I have played at Portman Road many times and it's a good place to play football. Ipswich always try and pass the ball so it should be an exciting match.”

 

Betting Odds (found using Sportsnetwork Odds Checker):

Town:  17/10

Draw: 9/4

Sunderland: 9/5

 

Officials:

Referee: M P Russell

Assistants: D D Bushell and J D A Hopkins

Fourth Official: J E Pearce

 

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