Edwards in bid for a cats return.
By: Luke Edwards, The Journal.
Carlos Edwards put himself in contention for a timely return to the Sunderland team to face Chelsea on Saturday with a 60-minute run-out for the reserves who beat Manchester United 1-0 last night.
Edwards has not featured for the Black Cats since he broke his leg against Derby County at the Stadium of Light at the start of December and has been a big loss for the Wearsiders.
But manager Roy Keane, who was watching his return to action against a Manchester United side which included England international Gary Neville and former Sunderland loanee Danny Simpson, will be delighted to welcome him back into the first-team picture having been starved of his service for virtually the entire campaign because of injury.
The Trinidad and Tobago international was plagued by a persistent hamstring problem at the start of the season and has managed only five first-team appearances in the Premier League. Edwards was a pivotal figure in the Black Cats’ return to the top flight last season and Keane admitted at the start of the week that his loss had been acutely felt by the Wearsiders as they struggle to avoid another immediate return to the Championship.
Despite his successful run-out for the second string, however, it remains to be seen whether Keane is willing to start with Edwards on Saturday as he is bound to be short of match fitness after three months on the sidelines. Edwards did not over-exert himself in front a crowd of more than 1,000 people at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground last night, but showed a glimpse of the threat he will hopefully bring to the Sunderland first team when he darted on to the ball after Roy O’Donovan had cleverly stolen it from centre-back Gerard Pique. With James Chester getting back to cover the threat, Edwards drifted past him, dragging the ball on to his weaker left foot.
The winger caught his shot well enough, but Tomas Kuszczak made a good save, palming the ball away to safety. That though was a rare piece of excitement in a dismal first-half as most supporters appeared to be more concerned with keeping warm than being entertained by the football.
The only other decent chance fell to Manchester United striker Daniel Welbeck when he ran on to a long pass from Sam Hewson but, having been put clear of Paul McShane, he failed to keep his shot down and Márton Fülöp did not even need to make a save.
The second half was little better, although Neville did force a decent stop from Fülöp shortly after Edwards had been replaced by Jake Richardson, charging forward from right-back only to see his shot blocked at the near post. McShane might have won it for the Black Cats when he met Richardson’s corner with a firm header, but with Tomasz Kuszczak beaten, Chris Eagles did his job on the near post and cleared off the line.
It mattered not, Ian Harte converting from the spot after David Gray had been sent off for fisting Jordan Cook’s header over the bar after Kuszcazk had saved from Jamie Chandler.
Sunderland (4-4-2): - Fulop, Wright, M'Voto, McShane, Harte, Edwards (Richardson 60), Weir, Miller, Dennehy, O'Donovan (Cook 60), Chandler.
Subs not used: Carson, Pelter, Brown.
Manchester United (4-4-2): - Kuszczak, Neville (Gray 73), Pique, Chester, Simpson, Cleverley, Eagles, Possebon, Welbeck, Hewson, Evans (Barnes 80). Subs not used: Zieler, Lea, Fagan.
