Sunderland Under-21s win face Blackburn Rovers in a Premier League Cup semi-final tie at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night.
Sunderland Under-21s have been urged to grasp the ‘fantastic opportunity’ that lies ahead of them as they prepare to face Blackburn Rovers in a Premier League Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.
Graeme Murty’s side finished as runners-up in the group stage of this season’s competition after collecting ten points from meetings with Colchester United, Bromley and Norwich City before a Lewis Campbell brace and a header from Armenia international Finn Geragusian helped secure a 3-1 win in a quarter-final tie against Watford last month. That was enough to set up their home tie with Rovers in the last four and the winners now know they will face Burnley in the final after the Clarets claimed a 2-1 home win against West Bromwich Albion thanks to goals from Vernon Masara and Ellis Clark on Monday night.
The rules of the competition mean semi-final ties must be held at the home of a club’s first-team and that means Murty and his players will get a chance to shine at the Stadium of Light and move a step closer to claiming silverware to cap a season of promise and development. For the Black Cats academy coach, his side’s run to the semi-final has provided plenty of personal satisfaction and he urged his players to make the most of their big night in front of what they hope will be a big crowd.
He told the club website: “It’s been a really impressive run so far. We’ve had a very varied team throughout the tournament, and it’s been one of the markers of the entire season for us. Regardless of the team we’ve put out, the lads have tried to maintain a style of play and identity that we want as a club. We hope that the lads are successful in doing that again on Wednesday night – and can translate it into a really positive performance.”
Fantastic opportunity
Finn Geragusian - Photo by Ben Cuthbertsonplaceholder image
Finn Geragusian - Photo by Ben Cuthbertson | Finn Geragusian - Photo by Ben Cuthbertson
“It’s another fantastic opportunity for the lads. They always look forward to playing at the SoL, because it’s a really big occasion for them. The more opportunities we can give them playing at the SoL, the better they’re going to feel when they hopefully progress through to first-team football. It’ll be different, but it’s about familiarisation for the lads and understanding that we can translate what we do on the training pitch and any other pitch to the SoL. I’m really looking forward to seeing who can manage the occasion best.”
Sunderland have confirmed ticket prices for the semi-final tie and they are priced at £3 for adults and £1 for over-65s and Under-22s. They can be purchased via the club website here and there is also confirmation the entire 90 minutes will be broadcast live via the Black Cats official YouTube channel.
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