Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers,
Barclays Premier League
Tuesday 9 March, 2010,
The Stadium of Light, 7.45pm Kick Off.
Live commentary from the Stadium of Light will be available on Wanderers Player from 7.15pm. Click here to take advantage of the 14-day free trial.
Wanderers' first team will be looking to repeat the achievements of the second string when they tackle Sunderland on Tuesday evening.
Just 24 hours earlier, John Henry's reserve side ran out 2-1 winners over their counterparts thanks to a Ricardo Vaz Te double.
And Owen Coyle will be hoping Wanderers' recent rich vein of form following two consecutive Premier League victories can stretch from London to the North East.
There is no doubt that the Premier League table makes for healthier reading after the Whites picked up six points from a possible six, but the Bolton boss has insisted that Wanderers must not rest on their laurels now that they have moved up to 13th spot.
Sunderland enter the contest without a top-flight victory in 14 attempts - a run which stretches back to November 21 when they defeated Arsenal 1-0. However, the Black Cats did manage to beat Wanderers on the opening day of the season through a Darren Bent goal on his debut for the club.
It was also Steve Bruce's first competitive match in charge at the club. Looking ahead to Tuesday evening's game, he said: "We did it brilliantly in August when we beat them on their patch - it seems a long time ago now, by the way.
"We can't deny the run we are in, and this little bit of confidence or whatever it is, we have just got to find it from somewhere if we are going to get a result.
"But there have been signs over the last few weeks. We have been far more difficult to beat, which has pleased me.
"We haven't really played that well, but we have shown a resilience and a stomach for the fight."
Sunderland are set to be without midfield duo of Lee Cattermole (hamstring) and Kieran Richardson (calf) while Jordan Henderson and Andy Reid are also doubtful as they recover from their recent lay-offs.
But they should be able to call upon the services of Boudewijn Zenden and Steed Malbranque.
Owen Coyle also faces a similar selection quandary with his midfield. No less than five first team players in that position are sidelined, while Tamir Cohen is suspended for one match following his red card against West Ham.
Matt Taylor, Vladimir Weiss or Ricardo Gardner could come into the starting line-up to fill the void left by the Israel international.
In the corresponding fixture last season, Wanderers recorded their biggest away win of the 2008/09 campaign with Johan Elmander notching a brace. The Sweden international will keep his starting berth alongside captain Kevin Davies should Owen Coyle name the same strike pairing.
The referee for the match is Alan Wiley. It is the third time that the Staffordshire-based official has taken control of a Wanderers game this season following the home clash against Liverpool in August and the fixture at the Emirates Stadium at the turn of the year.
Bolton Wanderers supporters travelling to the North East can purchase tickets at the Stadium of Light.
Adult tickets can be purchased directly from the away turnstile (61) priced at £27.00. Those supporters wishing to buy concessionary tickets are asked to purchase directly from the Sunderland Ticket Office priced at £10 for those under the age of 16 and £17 for those over the age of 65.
