Lynden Gooch has branded Saturday’s hosting of Portsmouth at the Stadium of Light an “exciting game,” as Sunderland look to register a third-straight Sky Bet League One win.
Kenny Jackett’s Pompey have improved their form of late, and with the Lads’ remarkable run of 537 minutes without conceding a league goal – and the added spice that has developed in the fixture in recent years – Gooch is preparing for an eagerly anticipated battle.
“Portsmouth is always an exciting game to play in,” the American said.
“We’ve built something of a rivalry between us in the past few seasons, and I’m sure Saturday will be another good game.”
Gooch is keen to build on the momentum that Phil Parkinson’s team have built, priding ourselves on the excellent defensive record thus far.
“We’ve had back-to-back wins, and we’ve done what we needed to do in our last couple of games.
“That’s important for our momentum, especially going into the weekend and having the number of games coming up that we have.
“We’ve been solid defensively, everyone’s doing their jobs, and we’re able to build ourselves a platform to create chances like we did on Tuesday night against Crewe.”
The 24-year-old has been used as somewhat of a utility player in the first six matches of the campaign, most recently on either wing of a back five.
The change in positions however is not something that fazes Gooch – his versatility proving a huge benefit to the side – and having already opened his account this season with a stunning solo strike at Oxford United, he is adamant more goals will come from all over the pitch.
“I’ve played in a wing-back role a couple of times, and I’ve played four different positions in the last four games,” he said.
“I can play all over the park, and obviously the gaffer has moved me about a bit, but I just need to keep putting in good performances to stay in the team.
“We’re creating chances at the moment, and we just need to be hitting the target more often. As long as we’re getting in those positions to score, we shouldn’t have anything to worry about moving forward.”