'We are not shy' - Sunderland star's Championship promotion warning after Sheffield United & Leeds gap closed

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Sunderland closed the gap on Sheffield United to three points following Monday’s win at Middlesbrough.

Wilson Isidor has made no secret of his Sunderland side’s automatic promotion aims in a warning to Sheffield United and their Championship rivals.

Isidor scored one of three goals on Monday evening as Sunderland came out the better of a five-goal thriller at Middlesbrough. While focus across the footballing world was on transfer business, Regis Le Bris’ side pulled level on points with third-placed Burnley thanks in part to Ryan Giles’ comical late own goal.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Black Cats fell behind early on but turned the tide either side of half-time, with Isidor’s ice-cold finish putting his side 2-1 up on 51 minutes. Boro’s Hayden Hackney equalised on the hour but then saw teammate Giles divert Enzo Le Fee’s cross into his own net with just three minutes of normal time remaining.

As this season’s surprise package, Sunderland have exceeded outside expectations in keeping pace with the likes of Leeds, Burnley and United. But Isidor and his teammates don’t only plan to stay on their tails - their aim is to claim a top-two spot for themselves and the French striker made no secret of that.

“I think everybody knows and we are not shy to say it,” Isidor told Sky Sports in the immediate aftermath of Monday’s win at the Riverside Stadium. “We want to get promoted in the automatic places. So we know that the race is tough.

“Because there is a good team also and we know that this group is special. Also the coach, I think the fans know that this group is special and we really enjoy being together. So we will try to get the promotion and give our best. Because that's only what we can do with the jersey.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With United and Leeds both winning over the weekend, pressure was on Sunderland to keep pace with those currently occupying the automatic promotion places. Chris Wilder’s Blades battled hard to win 1-0 at Derby County and while it might not have been as thrilling as Leeds’ 7-0 win over Cardiff City, it brought home the same amount of points.

Burnley endured a tenth 0-0 draw of their campaign at Portsmouth and so Sunderland had the chance to pull level on points while also getting one over on a close rival in Middlesbrough. They did exactly that and Isidor caught the eye during post-match celebrations when putting his Black Cats shirt over a Riverside Stadium corner flag.

“We were really concentrated before the game,” the striker added. “We really wanted to win that game more here in the stadium. Because we wanted to take six points against them, because it's important for us for the title race.

“So that's why I think my emotion was a little bit too much. But it's okay, nothing is too much for this club, nothing is too much for those fans. So that's why my reaction was like that. I just enjoyed to play here, so that's amazing.”

News you can trust since 1887
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice