Sunderland vs Middlesbrough LIVE
Hello and welcome to our live blog coverage of Sunderland vs Middlesbrough from the Stadium of Light. Whether you call it a derby or not, it's set to be a lively occasion on Wearside today, with both sides in good form and looking to enhance their position in the Championship table.
Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray will be hoping his side can make up for their disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Swansea City last time out, a game in which they played with 10 men for the majority following Luke O'Nien's dismissal. He misses out today through suspension, with Danny Batth or Bailey Wright expected to start.
Michael Carrick has Middlesbrough in fine form, but such is the nature of the Championship this season, there are only four points separating the two sides heading into today's game. James Hunter will be on hand to bring you all the latest as it happens.
13:52James Hunter
Five minutes to be played
13:45James Hunter
42,594 here today
13:43James Hunter
ON - Watmore
OFF - McGree
13:43James Hunter
ON - Ba, Bennette
OFF - Roberts, Clarke
13:42KEY EVENT
Ball played out to Roberts on the right wing, he gets into the box and tees it up for Amad, he takes a couple of touches and blasts it past Steffen
13:31James Hunter
Wright playing at right-back, Hume has moved across to left-back
13:31James Hunter
ON - Wright
OFF - Alese
13:26James Hunter
ON - Archer
OFF - Forss
13:22KEY EVENT
Neat build-up play ends with a low ball coming into the box from the right, Clarke sidefoots it goalwards but Smith makes a vital block
13:15James Hunter
ON - McNair
OFF - Crooks
13:15KEY EVENT
Stewart's penalty is saved by Steffen diving low to his left, but the loose ball comes back to Stewart and he taps in from close range
13:14KEY EVENT
Forss booked for dissent
13:12KEY EVENT
Stewart gets goalside of Fry and races towards the box, Fry brings him down. Referee points straight to the spot and sends off last man Fry. Boro down to ten men
13:06KEY EVENT
Sunderland kick off the second half, attacking the North Stand
13:06James Hunter
Both sides are unchanged for the second half
12:54KEY EVENT
Patterson 7
Hume 7
Ballard 7
Batth 8
Alese 7
Evans 6 (Michut 11mins, 7)
Neil 7
Roberts 7
Amad 8
Clarke 7
Stewart 7
12:54KEY EVENT
Heaven only knows how Sunderland are not ahead - they could be out of sight by now.
Big chances have come and gone for Amad, Roberts, and a couple for Stewart.
Boro have brought one good save out of Patterson through Forss.
Sunderland by far the better team in the first half, but will they be made to pay for all these missed chances?
12:52KEY EVENT
Long clearance from Patterson, missed by Fry which lets Stewart in. The ball bounces awkwardly and another defender comes across to put pressure on him but he still gets his shot away, and Steffen claws it away
12:46James Hunter
Four minutes to be played
12:41James Hunter
Roberts corner from the right, Hume's near post header is well wide
12:40KEY EVENT
Roberts whips in a lovely cross from the right, Stewart does well to get in front of Fry six yards out but he gets under the ball and it goes over the bar. Big chance!
12:37KEY EVENT
Forss hits a low shot from the edge of the box, but Patterson gets down to turn it round the post for a corner
12:27KEY EVENT
Neat build-up from Sunderland down the right, Amad collects the ball inside the box and cuts it back for Roberts who doesn't make a clean contact with his shot but even so Steffen spills it and Stewart is there to rifle the loose ball into the roof of the net. It doesn't count, though - Stewart was well offside
12:18James Hunter
Free-kick delivered into the Boro box from the left, it's cleared only as far as Amad but his shot takes a deflection which takes the pace off it and Steffen gathers
12:16KEY EVENT
Smith booked for a foul on Clarke
12:16KEY EVENT
Amad cuts into the box from the left but this time he is challenged before he can get a shot away
12:13James Hunter
Evans goes down again and he can't continue
ON - Michut
OFF - Evans
12:11KEY EVENT
Poor clearance from Steffen goes straight to Amad, he gets into the box but sends his shot just wide of the right-hand post. Should have scored - Sunderland should be in front
12:09James Hunter
Shot from Lenihan from just outside the box, but it's straight at Patterson and he makes the save
12:09James Hunter
A worry as Evans goes down and is in need of treatment after coming off worst when giving away a free-kick, but he's OK to continue
