Burnley vs Sunderland LIVE
Hello and welcome to our live blog coverage of Burnley vs Sunderland from Turf Moor. It's probably the toughest return to action that Tony Mowbray's side could expect, with high-flying Burnley seemingly on course for promotion back to the Premier League.
The Black Cats are looking to improver their own form, with the play-offs still within their grasp. The win at Norwich showed they are challenge the top teams, with Sunderland unlucky to lose to Sheffield United at home, while they picked up a point against fourth-placed Luton.
Mowbray has yet more injury issues to deal with ahead of the game, with Dan Ballard missing tonight and Jewison Bennette ruled out for the remainder of the season.
James Hunter is at the ground tonight to bring you all the latest as it happens, plus the post-match reaction and analysis.
Tony Mowbray reacts23:10
FT ratings22:31
Match report22:16
85mins Offside!21:46
23:10KEY EVENT
Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray is proud of the way his side measured up against a Burnley side he described as the best in the Championship.
Full story here
22:31KEY EVENT
Lynden Gooch and Luke O'Nien stand out as Sunderland keep a clean sheet at Burnley - and the Black Cats could have won it.
FT ratings here
22:16KEY EVENT
Terrific performance from Sunderland tonight, and they fully deserved their point.
Match report here
22:05KEY EVENT
And that's that.
An excellent, disciplined, performance from Sunderland earns the Black Cats a deserved point - and they almost nicked all three, with sub Amad hitting the bar 20 minutes from time.
They become only the third team this season to keep a clean sheet against Burnley in the league, and the first do so at Turf Moor for almost a year - Manchester City were the last to do so, a year ago on Sunday.
Sunderland stay 11th in the table, while Burnley are now 14 points clear at the top.
21:52James Hunter
Six minutes to be played
21:49James Hunter
ON - Cirkin
OFF - Clarke
21:46KEY EVENT
Clarke beats Muric from an outrageous angle, but it doesn't count - the flag is up for offside. Ba was miles off, and standing directly in front of the keeper. Correct decision
21:43James Hunter
ON - Vitinho
OFF - Benson
21:42James Hunter
Gooch makes a brilliant block to deny Benson at the far post
21:39James Hunter
ON - Obafemi
OFF - Barnes
21:37James Hunter
ON - Lihadji, Ba
OFF - Roberts, Pritchard
21:31KEY EVENT
Roberts finds Amad on the edge of the box, he lets the ball run across him before hitting a shot which hits Cullen and loops over Muric but comes back off the bar and into the keeper's arms
21:30James Hunter
ON - Gudmundsson
OFF - Zaroury
21:24James Hunter
ON - Michut, Amad
OFF - Ekwah, Gelhardt
21:18KEY EVENT
Maatsen booked for a foul on Hume
21:18KEY EVENT
Slick passing from Burnley leads to a chance for Barnes inside the box, but his shot is half-blocked and it runs through harmlessly to Patterson
21:14KEY EVENT
Cullen booked for a foul on Gelhardt
21:06KEY EVENT
Sunderland kick off, attacking the Cricket Field Stand housing the away support in the second half
21:05James Hunter
Both sides are unchanged for the second half
20:52KEY EVENT
Patterson 7
Hume 6
O'Nien 7
Batth 7
Gooch 8
Neil 7
Ekwah 6
Roberts 6
Pritchard 6
Clarke 7
Gelhardt 6
20:49KEY EVENT
A pretty good first half from Sunderland, although they have had to withstand heavy Burnley pressure at times.
Patterson made a brilliant save from Harwood-Bellis, Gooch has been excellent in defence and made one fine block from Brownhill, while Barnes missed the target with a chance he should have scored.
At the other end, Roberts and Neil have both brought saves out of Muric.
So far, so good.
20:47James Hunter
Two minutes to be played
20:46KEY EVENT
Great sliding block by Gooch to divert Brownhill's shot over the bar when it looked like he must score
20:42KEY EVENT
Big chance for Barnes. Brownhill hooks the ball over his head into the box and it finds Barnes unmarked, but he fires over the bar when he should have scored
20:37James Hunter
Burnley want a penalty as Tella throws himself to the ground inside the box, but the referee says nothing doing. Replay shows there was no foul and Neil pulled out of the challenge. No booking for Tella, either
20:34KEY EVENT
From the corner, the ball is cleared only as far as Neil inside the D and he hits it first-time but Muric saves and holds, with two players waiting for any rebound. Good spell from Sunderland
20:33KEY EVENT
Gelhardt wins the ball and Roberts comes forward down the right, he cuts inside and hits a shot from 25 yards which Muric pushes round the post diving low to his right
20:30KEY EVENT
Burnley corner from the left, ball is knocked down inside the box and Harwood-Bellis fires it goalwards but Patterson makes a reaction save on the line to push it clear
20:25James Hunter
Sunderland fans in fine voice tonight
‘Sunderland take over, everywhere we go…’ #safc pic.twitter.com/ER7J3GXNht
— James Hunter (@JHunterChron) March 31, 202320:20James Hunter
Sunderland come forward and Clarke sees a cross from the left half blocked, it loops into the air and is cleared only as far as Ekwah just outside the box but he slices his volley wide of the left-hand post