Elliot expects Black Cats luck to change

Sunderland's Irish striker Stephen Elliott believes the club can bounce back from their opening-day defeat and record their first Coca-Cola Championship points at home to Crewe tonight.

The Black Cats lost 2-0 at Coventry, managed by former Sunderland boss Peter Reid.

But Elliott, whose place in the team may be taken by Scotland international Kevin Kyle now that he has recovered from a hip injury, believes they can get on the right track against the Railwaymen and claim maximum points against QPR on Saturday.

“People were obviously down after the game but we have got to pick ourselves up and hopefully get the three points that would have everybody buzzing again,” he told the club’s official website, www.safc.com.

“It is the first game of the season and we have to take the good aspects out of it and work on them. Two good performances at home this week will get us going.”