Date: Saturday 25th January Competition: FA Cup Venue: Stadium of Light Kick-Off: 15:00 As one quest to reach a Wembley stadium final ends successfully, Sunderland turn to the FA Cup, where they face non-league Kidderminster Harriers in the fourth round. The Skrill Premier side have seen off Bradford Park Avenue, Sutton United, Newport County and of course Peterborough United. The League Cup finalists beat Carlisle United in the third round. Manager Andy Thorn, who was part of the Wimbledon side that won this very trophy in 1988, has said that he hopes to pull off another cup upset:
"Any one-off game can go any way as long as you prepare properly, believe in what you do and go there with determination. "In that run with Wimbledon. we were favourites to get knocked out in every game we played. "But if you go with belief and desire, once you get out there, with your supporters right behind you in their numbers, anything can happen." (BBC Sport)
This is the very first time the two sides will meet. Team News Gus Poyet has already confirmed that new signings Oscar Ustari and Santiago Vergini are likely to make their debuts, while he could also hand games to fringe players such as Duncan Watmore, Modibo Diakite and El Hadji Ba, who scored in the last round against Carlisle. Callum Gittings and Kyle Storer are likely to be fit despite picking up knocks in the last 7 days, but Lee Fowler is set to miss out. New striker Freddie Ladapo, signed from Colchester on a free transfer on Friday, goes straight into the squad, however Ryan Rowe and Adrian Cieslewicz are cup tied. Likely Line-Ups Sunderland: Ustari, Celustka, Vergini, Diakite, Alonso, Johnson, Colback, Gardner, Ba, Giaccherini, Altidore Kidderminster: Lewis, Vaughan, Gowling, Demetriou, Jackman, Storer, Fowler, Byrne, Morgan-Smith, Gash, Johnson Prediction Sunderland 3-0 Kidderminster