Score Predictions: Away On The South Coast – Points on Offer?

Martin Wanless predicts…

Score prediction: Bournemouth 2 Sunderland 0

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: N/A

After predicting positive results over recent weeks and getting nowhere, I’m trying reverse psychology on the world this weekend by predicting a defeat, and no goals.

We were poor against Fulham last weekend, so we need to bounce back with a display full of intent today – hopefully we will, but with injuries sustained last time out, it’s going to be difficult.

Positive me would go for a 3-2 win – a repeat of the scoreline at the Stadium earlier in the season – with a recalled Wilson Isidor getting the opener… but let’s just see if I can’t tempt the gods of fate to push us towards three points…!

‘The Champion’ Malc Dugdale predicts…

Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Enzo Le Fée

We have reached a point of relative safety in the league but need to restore some resolve and make ourselves hard to beat again, both at home and away

We aren’t great on our travels, have taken a few injury issues on, but we still have to show we are no push overs which hasn’t been a Mackem quality seen a lot of late, other than that Burnley game, which feels like eons ago.

I want the boss to park the bus, nick a goal, and either get a narrow win or a loss. Even without our two first choice full backs in Mukiele and Reinildo we have to show our mettle and determination to not lose again.

Take a point with an ugly 0-0 if needed lads. Just don’t lose, and definitely don’t lose badly.

Jack Howe-Gingell predicts…

Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 2

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Enzo Le Fee

It will be a long old trip for our supporters, but they will all be full of the optimism a new game brings after a dismal time in our previous fixture against Fulham.

I hope their dedication will be rewarded with something to shout about on the pitch, that’s not the referee.

It’ll be a tough game and a point would be a good result, but why can’t we go there and win? We need to work on our away form and there’s no time like the present.

Our injury list feels like it’s mounting up again but I’m sure a likely start for Granit Xhaka will provide some solace, as well as some missed leadership and ability.

I’ll take us to squeak a 1-2, in a battling affair from us. We need to get back to some of our physicality and I hope to see it return on Saturday.

Will Jones predicts…

Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Habib Diarra

This is pure “take a point and leg it” territory.

Injuries everywhere, early kick‑off, long trip, Bournemouth are in form, it’s not a day for pretty football.

Here is for hoping Roefs pulls one out of the top drawer (again).

Diarra’s the one I can see smashing us ahead against the run of play. After that it’s backs to the wall, bodies flying, and a point you celebrate like three.

A proper smash‑and‑grab away day.

Matty Foster predicts…

Score prediction: Bournemouth 2 Sunderland 0

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: N/A

By all accounts, Xhaka and Traore are fully back. But when one hand giveth, the other taketh away.

We’ll be missing some key players today, and when you’re going to a side on a seven-game unbeaten run, it’s less than ideal.

Add to that, Bournemouth are strong at home, having only lost twice at Dean Court, and we’re awful on the road.

This is the sort of game where everything is stacked against us, and we end up upsetting the odds, isn’t it?

I’m not predicting that, but they’ve proven me wrong countless times so far!

Anthony Gair predicts…

Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 3

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Eliezer Mayenda (he hates Sam Fender)

People are going to say I’ve lost my mind, and I don’t care. I need points and I need to try and go against the grain when it comes to point scoring.

We cannot continue to lose away from home, and this is the game we return to any kind of form.

Injuries are starting to creep up on us, but the workrate of the lads coming in will be enough to see off the Cherries in an encounter that will stop people whinging for a week.

Gary Winter predicts…

Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 0

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: N/A

Needless to say it was an extremely disappointing day at the office last Sunday, but hopefully a little perspective remains. Momentum is not with us right now, and it’s slightly stale, but the lads did the bulk of the groundwork in the first half of the season. We are sitting in a great spot versus expectation.

It’s just the one defeat in the last nine league games for Bournemouth, which came in the first fixture of the calendar year (or just two losses in 13 league matches). So this stacks up to be a tale of two sides trending in opposite directions. They press very well in the final third, which doesn’t bode well for our lack of ideas and creativity in that area. And their attack looks dangerous, which is a credit to them after losing Semenyo.

Liverpool, Villa, Spurs and Chelsea have visited the Vitality Stadium in the past couple of months and not won, so I don’t fancy our chances today.

Brett Lyons-Davis predicts…

Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 2

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Enzo Le Fée

Just the odd 700 mile roundtrip from the Stadium of Light to the Vitality Stadium, so why not make it a 12:30 kick off!

Ridiculous match scheduling aside the lads really need to get something from this to get some feel good factor back on Wearside.

Injuries will definitely give Reggie a headache and there won’t be too many people putting us in their acca this week.

With Xhaka back and hopefully starting is just the boost we need to see the lads get a rare win on the road and a happy long journey home for those dedicated fans with no reasons to leave early.

Last time out…

Last weekend was one to forget. We were not at the races at all compared to most home games we have took on.

A first half where we and Fulham cancelled each other out was replaced by a second-half where we were punished with penalties that were arguably wrong due to off sides, soft goals due to poor marking, and deciding goals enabled by our desperation to get back into it.

Enzo got us a goal from the spot, for a penalty which was bang on deserved, but we didn’t get that killer second to make them wobble, and the 3rd counter attacking goal was well created and well taken, and killed all hopes.

Last game predictions…

Everyone bar Matty went for a home win against the Cottagers but only the lads who picked Enzo for first scorer got anything.

Brobbey will probably be missing from the first scorer shouts for a while after his injury, but it will be interesting who grabs the chance to take his place and get a grip on the striker shirt for the second half of the season.

Predictions table and standings

No major movements in the table with only a few of the lads gaining points for the Le Fee pen.

The battle at the bottom of our own mini league continues, with Gair hoping to rein in Martin to escape the bottom spot in the coming weeks.

How the points are awarded

Just a quick reminder of how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:

• Correct score = Three points
• Correct outcome (but not correct score) = One point
• Correct first Sunderland goalscorer = One point (no goalscorer is a valid call)
• Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = a two-point deduction.