Sunderland

Sunderland's Ross Stewart will come up against Jordan Storey later this evening at the Stadium of Light. Ahead of tonight's League One play ...

The Australian has been involved in promotion and relegation battles so is well equipped for the play-offs. But he has so much more to his game than sitting at the base. An intriguing battle awaits which could define the outcome of the game.

Sunderland are preparing for the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday – but who will start for the Black Cats at ...

Luke O'Nien played as a left-sided centre-back at Morecambe and the Sunderland boss will want a more natural option. Photo: JPI Media Photo: JPI Media

Football Insider has been told by Dan Plumley that Sunderland could be set for revenue hike amid official £11million reveal.

The Times reported last Monday (25 April) that talks are now underway to increase cash handouts from the Premier League to the EFL. The Stadium of Light side turned over £11.3m in 2020-21, as per the accounts released last Friday (29 April). Sunderland face Sheffield Wednesday in the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final tie on Friday (6 May).

A winter slump cost Lee Johnson his job but they go into Friday night's League One play-off in buoyant mood after revival under Alex Neil.

Sources have stressed that his main aim was to make “Sunderland harder to beat” and there is pragmatism in his work. Whatever disappointment there was over the Keane saga, the appointment of former Norwich City and Preston manager Alex Neil has been a success. There was even talk that he would be forced to have a second interview and would need to make a presentation detailing his plans for the squad and style of play. That meant the combined majority of the old Madrox group, who had supposedly relinquished control, was still 59 per cent, even though Dreyfus was responsible for the day-to-day running of the business and direction of the club. When Dreyfus invested in the club in February 2021, it was stated that he had control, even though members of the old regime were retaining a small stake. When Johnson was sacked, the prospect of former manager and icon, Roy Keane, returning to the Stadium of Light sent a wave of excitement crashing across the region.

Roy Keane was among the names strongly tipped to replace Lee Johnson in the Sunderland dugout earlier this year and there are fresh reports detailing how ...

To hit two points-per-game over 15 matches and to hit 84 points, that speaks volumes of what the players have done. "But as ever, football management is a never-ending mountain climb isn't it? An inside source has told Telegraph Sport the “email was short and blunt”.”

Every first-team player available to Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore ahead of the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final with Sunderland ...

We know we will have to be at our level best." Loan defender Harlee Dean and captain Barry Bannan are expected to be included in the travelling party. The two teams who have gone up have amassed 90 points. They have been in great form. Moore said: "They [Sunderland] have got some good, talented players. Although Sunderland ended up a place below the Owls in the standings, Alex Neil's team have momentum on their side after suffering just one defeat from their last 15 matches.

Sunderland will be aiming to keep their hopes of securing promotion to the Championship on track tonight by securing victory in their showdown with ...

With Nathan Broadhead facing a race to be fit for this clash, there is every chance that he will miss out on a place in Sunderland’s starting eleven. Danny Batth will be partnered in the heart of defence by Luke O’Nien and Bailey Wright who has made 37 league appearances for Sunderland this season. Although Sunderland are currently on a 13 game unbeaten run in the third-tier, they know that they will need to be at their very best this evening as Wednesday are also in fine form.

Sunderland now face a big dilemma as a consortium fronted by William Storey has reportedly now submitted a £42m offer to buy the Wearside club.

Follow live text updates as Sunderland host Sheffield Wednesday in the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final.

Sunderland v Sheff Wed (19:45 BST) Sunderland v Sheff Wed (19:45 BST) Rex FeaturesCopyright: Rex Features

Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday face off tonight in their first-leg play-off semi-final clash at the Stadium of Light.

They’re so evenly matched and they’re both going into this game in good form, so it should be an exciting game. Score prediction: Sunderland 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday Their home form has been fantastic under Alex Neil and with a roaring crowd behind them, I think they’ll secure a narrow win.”

SUNDERLAND host Sheffield Wednesday TONIGHT in a mouth-watering League One Play-Off first leg encounter.And the Black Cats will be hoping to make amen.

77. That is such a good chance! He chases down a lost cause, and gets through on goal, his initial finish is saved, but it bounces back to him and he keeps his composure to slot it home at the second time of asking. 45. The second half is underway here at the Stadium of Light, hopefully the start of this one is as good as the end to the last half. 48. It is Alex Pritchard looking to create again, the Sunderland midfielder is whipping in free kicks and they are trying to get him and Gooch on the ball as much as possible Wednesday are missing Bannan out of the play at the moment, he needs to be on the ball more as the Owls are launching it forward. The ball is whipped in from the left side and it is misjudged by the Sunderland keeper, it is really fortunate to fall to a Sunderland defender and subsequently cleared. 69. It is a good effort from Roberts from the right hand side, but it is just wide of the far post. 54. This is really really good from Sunderland, Jack Clarke surges down the left hand side and wins a corner for Pritchard to take. He receives it on the edge of the box and hits a finesse shot towards the top right corner. 64. It is 66% possession and 5 shots to 1 for Sunderland in the second half so far. 76. It is a great ball from Massimo Luongo, the Australian whips a ball towards Palmer at the back post, but his free header is over the bar. He does really well to get in a good position but the cross is again, not his finest.

The play-offs are finally here with Sunderland set to host Sheffield Wednesday in the first of two huge matches tonight.

- 2Sunderland announce latest stunning ticket sale ahead of Stadium of Light Sheffield Wednesday clash Sheffield Wednesday with a couple of corners. - 1Sunderland reveal latest Stadium of Light ticket sales with stunning attendance for Sheffield Wednesday tie soaring

The big match has arrived and as ever The Star has had every angle covered in the buid-up to Sheffield Wednesday's League One play-off semi-final against ...

Barry Bannan will be available for Sheffield Wednesday – that’s the opinion of Sunderland’ Alex Neil, anyway. Both sides boast players who have come into form at just the right time, none more so than Wednesday striker Lee Gregory. Sheffield Wednesday will ‘wait and see’ on the fitness of talisman midfielder Barry Bannan ahead of their vital play-off semi-final clash at Sunderland on Friday evening. The sun was shining, the atmosphere joyous. And then the mood soured. The big one has arrived with Sheffield Wednesday taking on Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals, with the first leg at the Stadium of Light.

It's a big night in the League One play-offs – with Sheffield Wednesday travelling to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

We had to sit in deep, they had to show their experience... I knew we had to stay in it. The spaces they were operating in - it was edging in their favour. He had a couple of days, the medical team seemed happy, and we watched him in training. He got back into training late this week, and we looked at how he was there and he knows his body. We have to be confident...

The Stadium of Light faithful were at their passionate best ahead of Friday night's meeting with the Owls.

Sunderland fans prepare for the SkyBet League One play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday Sunderland fans prepare for the SkyBet League One play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday Sunderland fans prepare for the SkyBet League One play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday

Ross Stewart scored shortly before half-time in the League One playoff semi-final first leg to give his side a 1-0 aggregate lead over Sheffield Wednesday.

It left the striker clean through accelerating towards goal and although Bailey-Farrell saved his initial shot, Stewart made no mistake in steering the rebound home from a tight angle. Moore replaced the near anonymous Saido Berahino with Josh Windass in attack but, still, Sunderland dominated. It started to turn elements of the crowd slightly impatient before wholesale nervousness briefly intruded as Wednesday’s Liam Palmer crossed in Lee Gregory’s direction. Two hours before kick-off the amount of traffic slowing to a crawl on the stadium’s main approach roads felt reminiscent of the days when Sunderland were a Premier League club. In 16 games Neil succeeded the sacked Lee Johnson Sunderland have only lost once yet Wednesday initially, deceptively, looked more composed. Significantly Anthony Patterson, the home goalkeeper, was not required to make a single serious save.

The play-offs are finally here with Sunderland set to host Sheffield Wednesday in the first of two huge matches tonight.

- 4Sunderland announce latest stunning ticket sale ahead of Stadium of Light Sheffield Wednesday clash - 2Watch the stunning scenes as Sunderland fans produce amazing flag display against Sheffield Wednesday at Stadium of Light - 1Sunderland reveal latest Stadium of Light ticket sales with stunning attendance for Sheffield Wednesday tie soaring

Sheffield Wednesday face Sunderland in the first leg of the League One play-off semi-finals at the Stadium of Light this evening.

Bannan is at the tip of the diamond. I thought the game lived up to what I thought it was going to do. But what I've got to credit the boys is they were spirited, dogged and stayed in the game. "That's the disappointing thing, in terms of the goal we gave away it was avoidable. It is a midfield diamond. He swings in a cross from the right and BPF turns it behind for a corner. Darren Moore's side travel to Wearside in good shape, having won six out of their last eight matches. 50 - A change in shape for the Owls It has been a tough opening 15 minutes to the second half for the Owls, with Sunderland going close on a number of occasions. "Coming here we knew it was going to be a very difficult game and when the crowd gets up like this it's a very difficult place. BIG chance for Sunderland to score a second, and it's from another Wednesday error at the back. Ross Stewart's first half opener is the difference between the two sides in the first leg at the Stadium of Light.

CRAIG HOPE AT THE STADIUM OF LIGHT: There is something about the acoustics here that the Stadium of Noise would be a more fitting title for Sunderland's ...

Such efforts are always greeted with great gusto by a home crowd during the infancy of a contest. His eventual shot, saved comfortably by Peacock-Farrell, was also a reminder as to why he never made the grade at the Etihad. Some goals at this level are met with less of a racket. Indeed, he was still on City’s books as recently as January, when released to join Sunderland on a free. The atmosphere was electric and I thought my players were a credit to the club.’ His point is that Sunderland are where they are for a reason.

Sunderland won against Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the first-leg of the League One play-off semi-final this evening – and supporters were quick to react.

- 4Sunderland announce latest stunning ticket sale ahead of Stadium of Light Sheffield Wednesday clash - 2Sunderland reveal latest Stadium of Light ticket sales with stunning attendance for Sheffield Wednesday tie soaring - 1Watch the stunning scenes as Sunderland fans produce amazing flag display against Sheffield Wednesday at Stadium of Light

The play-offs are finally here with Sunderland set to host Sheffield Wednesday in the first of two huge matches tonight.

FULL-TIME: Sunderland 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0 - 5Alex Neil to make THREE Sunderland changes for Sheffield Wednesday play-off clash - predicted line-up - 1Watch the stunning scenes as Sunderland fans produce amazing flag display against Sheffield Wednesday at Stadium of Light

Ross Stewart grabs a goal late in the first half to give Sunderland a lead going into the second leg of the Playoff final. Here's how Andy rated the players ...

Set up Cirkin for a free header in the second half and almost got a second himself when he chased down another error but fired just wide. Then put a shift in late on as we were put under a bit of pressure. He tired late on but was fantastic on the left, got up and down the line to support Clarke, and had a good chance to score but couldn’t keep his header down.

All of the marks out of 10 for Darren Moore's Sheffield Wednesday side after their 1-0 defeat in the first leg of the League One play-off semi-final at the ...

Prodded a shot wide in the early stages. It was no shock to see him come off in the second half. Put in several crunching challenges and almost created a chance after a good raid down the right flank. Had some tidy moments in the engine room. Was calm and assured in between the sticks. It was a big, uncharacteristic error from Hutchinson. Atoned for that error with an important tackle after the break.

How did the players fare in Sunderland's 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday? SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1):. 7 Patterson: Didn't have a lot to do ...

The Sunderland manager gave his verdict on their 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the first leg of their League One play-off semi final.

But it's hard when a team sits in as a five, our change of shape I thought worked really well, we just didn't quite get the ball into the final third enough.” The players have then got to take that expectation, that atmosphere, soak it up and manufacture that into a really good performance, which I think they did.” The Black Cats lack of killer instinct to extend their advantage was the only downside for the boss.

Sunderland will take a 1-0 first-leg lead to Sheffield Wednesday – but who stood out for Alex Neil's side at the Stadium of Light?

Strong in the second half and played his part in the goal with a fine early pass into the channel. Completely dominated his duels with Berahino and Gregory, even if the visitors didn’t show a great deal of intent through the first half. Very calm in possession in the main and dealt with the majority of balls into his box.

"The mission for Alex Neil's side is so simple, yet so, so difficult: keep a clean sheet in Sheffield Wednesday's backyard," writes Finlay Anderson, ...

Brilliant determination and pressing from Ross Stewart forced visiting defender, Sam Hutchinson, into a mammoth mistake that allowed the striker in behind. Palmer had two successive efforts to level the tie, but couldn’t convert. Sunderland were able to move up the pitch more often, and almost capitalised from a second defensive error from the away side, as Peacock-Farrell’s loose pass was picked up by Stewart, but the striker could only fire narrowly wide of the left post. Much of Wednesday’s game plan was to minimise the scoreline and play their football on the break, and as Sunderland began to up the tempo, the atmosphere inside the Stadium ramped up, too. Despite keeping his cards very close to his chest regarding the fitness of Nathan Broadhead, Alex Neil was without the Everton-loanee and opted for a change in shape to a 4-2-3-1 structure, with the returning Dennis Cirkin dropping back into the left-back role. It was a dominant and comfortable opening hour from Alex Neil’s side, who arguably could have stretched their lead – however, at full-time, the team were pleased to have kept hold of the win as Wednesday came close to an equaliser late on.

Alex Neil says he is confident his Sunderland side can stand up to a tough test at Sheffield Wednesday on Monday night.

"We carry a threat and we’re defensively solid. If we continue to do that then there’s no reason why we can’t go there and get a result. “You could see with the lads effort tonight how desperate they are to do well for this club and for themselves and each other.

The academy side lifted the prestigious trophy after a hard-fought 4-2 win over defending champions Crystal Palace.

Palace continued to threaten and were denied by a goalline clearance before Lameiras got his second with 12 minutes left, nodding in Gabriel Bonsu-Amako’s left-wing cross. Palace took the lead in the 16th minute when the excellent Zack Henry, who was a thorn in the Sunderland side throughout the game, released Enrique Lameiras and the winger slotted home left-footed. Scouts from up and down the country were in attendance to watch the game, with England U15 star Rigg one of the most closely-watched.

Ross Stewart's goal gave Sunderland a narrow 1-0 play-off semi-final win over Sheffield Wednesday ahead of Monday's second leg.

He had work to do as he ran in on goal from the centre circle. Alex Pritchard hit the bar with a curling, dipping shot and a header from Dennis Cirkin went over when he should have hit the target from six yards. The eruption of noise was like a jumbo jet taking off. They had been marginally the better side. Four years they have spent in the third tier, the lowest point in this proud northern club’s history. They know what they have to do.

It's something Alex Neil has railed against in his tenure on Wearside so far, always withering when it's put to him that this is not a League One club.

To relish having this feeling again, to hear and share in that roar. Barry Bannan, a bystander in the first hour, was suddenly appearing here and there, moving it at pace and with precision. In a frenzied wave of attacks Alex Pritchard struck the crossbar with an effort that had Bailey Peacock-Farrell well beaten. That they did, and the 44,472 responded in kind. Neil had called on the club, internal and external, to forget all that play-off heartache for now. This was Wearside; the night Sunderland went back to the future.

The Owls boss was impressed by the performance of his side's opponents but praised his own players for ensuring they are still in the tie.

“We’re going to have to try and get back in the game. But the first half was a ferocious pace, they played ever so well Sunderland, credit to my boys they stayed at it and we just had to make sure that we stayed in the game, that’s what they’ve done tonight.” It leaves the tie perfectly poised going into Monday night’s second leg at Hillsborough where the Owls will be confident of using their home advantage to turn it on its head.

All the information you need to know ahead of Sunderland's play-off semi-final second leg against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

The Black Cats lost 3-0 at Hillsborough in the league back in November, with Theo Corbeanu, Florian Kamberi, and Lee Gregory on the scoresheet. Sunderland take on Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Monday night in the second leg of their play-off semi-final. The winners of Monday's game will face either Wycombe or MK Dons in the final, with the Chairboys taking a 2-0 lead into the second leg of that semi-final on Sunday evening.