Sunderland’s Conor Wickham reveals positive approach
The 21-year-old scored his fourth goal of the season in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Burnley which hauled the Black Cats into 14th place and four points clear of the drop.
It was their first win in the league in six attempts since December 21 and just their second of the season at the Stadium of Light. However, Wickham, whose five goals in three games at the end of last season provided the platform for the club’s unlikely great escape, has never even considered the prospect of having to produce a similar fightback this time around.
He said: “You can never guarantee you are safe — you just have to look at last season. We were seven points adrift and we managed to avoid it. I don’t think anybody can guarantee safety until it’s mathematical, so we are not even thinking about that. The aim is to stay in the Premier League and do the best we can, but me personally, relegation has never crossed my mind, so it shouldn’t the team either.”
Wickham headed home Reveillere’s 20th-minute cross to open the scoring and when Defoe slid home Van Aanholt’s pull-back 14 minutes later for his first Sunderland goal, the points were secure.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche said: “That is life in the Premier League. It’s a learning curve for players on a weekly basis and it’s another big reminder you have to be on top of your game every minute.”
SUNDERLAND: Pantilimon, Reveillere, Vergini, O’Shea, Van Aanholt, Bridcutt, Wickham (Graham 76), Larsson, Gomez, Johnson (Alvarez 86), Defoe (Fletcher 75).
BURNLEY: Heaton, Trippier, Keane, Shackell, Mee, Boyd (Wallace 61), Marney, Jones, Arfield, Barnes (Vokes 76), Ings (Jutkiewicz 61).
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).
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