Live Commentary
Match Preview
O'Shea sets sights on Cup run John O'Shea is hoping derby victory could set Sunderland on the way to FA Cup glory. The former Manchester United defender will take his place in the Black Cats' back four on Sunday hoping to continue their run of fine form with a fourth-round victory over neighbours Middlesbrough. While O'Shea will take nothing for granted as Tony Mowbray's men arrive on Wearside looking for a Barclays Premier League scalp, he knows a place in the fifth-round draw would hand them a genuine chance of an extended run in a competition which brought him a winners' medal in 2004. The 30-year-old said: "They are the games you play football for, whether it be the cup of the league. "It's one that we are looking forward to - one of the players in the team in particular is making sure everyone is on the ball for that game. "I wouldn't say you are relaxed as such because a derby situation is added spice to the cup factor, and also you want to keep your good run going as well. "Some big teams have been drawn against each other again, and if you are in the hat for the next round, you never know, you could get that bit of luck as well and the next thing, you are thinking about bigger aspirations in the cup. "That keeps the confidence ticking over for the league as well." The game will be O'Shea's first derby encounter for his new club after he missed the 1-0 home league defeat by Newcastle on August 20 through injury. As a result, he is relishing Boro's visit to Wearside even more than most, although perhaps not as much as Teesside-born former Middlesbrough midfielder Lee Cattermole. The Republic of Ireland international said: "They are the games that as a professional, you want to be involved in. "Whether it be Middlesbrough or Newcastle as the case may be, they are games you want to be involved in - and hopefully, you get the right result as well. "It's one that we are looking forward to - one of the players in the team in particular is making sure everyone is on the ball for that game." Manager Martin O'Neill will send his team out looking for a seventh victory in 10 matches. Middlesbrough captain Matthew Bates says the clash is a chance to show his side can compete with the best teams in the country. Sunderland are currently one of the Barclays Premier League's form sides having been revitalised under new boss Martin O'Neill, with ex-Boro midfielder Lee Cattermole playing his part as captain. However, Boro are hoping to join them in the top flight soon, and Bates is keen to show the gap in quality is not as big as some might think. "We have aspirations to get to the Premier League and this is an opportunity to prove to people we can play," the 25-year-old told club website mfc.co.uk. "The gaffer's said to us, 'Let's go up there and see where we are and if we are where we want to be or if we're not'. There might be a few shocks and a few pleasant surprises. "We're going there as underdogs, there's no doubt about that, but sometimes that's not such a bad thing. The pressure's got to be on them being at home and being a Premier League side and we're looking for a cup upset." Bates feels that the home-grown talent in the Middlesbrough squad will serve them well, as many will be playing for the local bragging rights. "We've got more local lads in our squad than they have and it will mean that little bit extra to us local boys," he said. "But everyone out there will know what it means. Everyone in our team will be up for it and it's a big occasion for all of us. We're all really looking forward to it and let's hope we can pull off a shock. "It's a huge game, especially for the fans. There'll be a great atmosphere, we've got 3,000 going and we could have probably sold that 10 times over." Manager Tony Mowbray has some selection difficulties ahead of the tie, with striker Bart Ogbeche and midfielder Nicky Bailey definitely sidelined. Ogbeche has been ruled out of contention with a hamstring injury, while Bailey still recovering from medial ligament damage. Julio Arca's red card in the defeat at Coventry means he will serve the first of a three-match ban while Kevin Thomson's dismissal in the same match leaves Mowbray light in midfield. Youngster Connor Ripley could start in goal for a third successive match with Jason Steele (thigh) and Danny Coyne (calf) still struggling. end
Match Report
Campbell back with a bang Fraizer Campbell emerged from his latest bout of injury misery to keep Sunderland's FA Cup dreams alive with a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough. The former Manchester United striker was introduced as a half-time substitute, in the process making his first senior appearance since August 2010 as a result of two serious knee injuries. He needed just 18 minutes to make an impact, sliding the ball past Boro keeper Danny Coyne from James McClean's pinpoint pass to cancel out Barry Robson's first-half opener. The Black Cats had earlier seen a Craig Gardner strike controversially ruled out, but their npower Championship neighbours were good value for a replay after a full-blooded fourth-round contest in front of a crowd of 33,275. Sunderland were dealt a major blow ahead of kick-off when skipper Lee Cattermole, who made his name as a teenager at Boro, was ruled out by a hamstring injury, a misfortune which was to prove significant before the break. Gardner took his place in the middle of the field, but without Cattermole's bite, the Teessiders were able to prosper as Rhys Williams, Marvin Emnes and Robson, aided when not in possession by Faris Haroun and Scott McDonald, made life intensely difficult for their counterparts. The visitors started brightly and Black Cats keeper Simon Mignolet was relieved to grasp McDonald's third-minute volley to his chest after it has initially threatened to squirm from his grasp. Sunderland gradually worked their way into the game and might have gone ahead seven minutes later, only for Sebastian Larsson to head wastefully wide after Stephane Sessegnon had tricked his way past Robson and crossed from the right. Boro had a lucky escape three minutes later when defender Seb Hines headed a David Vaughan corner straight at team-mate Haroun and saw the ball loop just over Coyne's crossbar. But it was they who took the lead in spectacular style with 16 minutes gone. Emnes made life difficult for defender John O'Shea, captaining Sunderland in Cattermole's absence, and he could only loop a weak header towards Robson on the left side of the penalty area. The former Celtic midfielder needed no second invitation and unleashed a stinging volley which flew past Mignolet's despairing dive and into the bottom corner. The travelling fans behind Coyne's goal were in raptures, but as the half worse on, it was they who started to see far more of the ball than they would have liked. Coyne got down well to block McClean's 23rd-minute shot and was in the right place at the right time to claim the winger's close-range header seconds later. However, the game erupted into controversy with six minutes of the half remaining after the Black Cats thought they had dragged themselves back into it. Gardner controlled Kieran Richardson's cross with a hint of handball and fired home off the inside of the far post with striker Connor Wickham watching the ball home at close hand. But the celebrations were ended abruptly by a flag, and after consulting his assistant, referee Kevin Friend ruled out the effort, apparently for offside against Wickham, despite the fact that he had not intervened. Sunderland's mood might have darkened further on the stroke of half-time when Lukas Jutkiewicz found himself in on goal, but Mignolet saved his initial effort and when Haroun fed the rebound back to him, he fired harmlessly across goal. Campbell replaced Wickham at the break, although it was Boro who enjoyed the better openings during the early exchanges. Emnes volleyed just wide with 50 minutes gone and Robson curled a free-kick a yard past the post with the visitors refusing to sit on their lead. The home side's fortunes took a turn for the worse when defender Wes Brown limped off after landing awkwardly following an aerial challenge with Emnes. However, the 10 men levelled in stunning style as Michael Turner prepared to replace him. McClean ran on to Robson's poor back-pass before squaring for Campbell, who slipped his shot unerringly past Coyne to send a sigh of relief around the stadium. O'Neill's men tore into their opponents as the momentum swang firmly their way, although Boro continued to make a real fight of it. Play switched rapidly from end to end, but neither side was able to find the killer blow in a rousing finale during which Williams was perhaps fortunate to see yellow rather than red for a wild challenge on Vaughan.
