Sunderland face the biggest game of their season yet against Coventry City

Régis Le Bris has urged Sunderland supporters to stick with their team as they bid to book a place at Wembley and the Championship play-off final.

The Black Cats will take a narrow 2-1 lead into the second leg at the Stadium of Light, and will be backed by a sell-out crowd of over 46,500 fans. The Sunderland head coach says that support could be the difference in what he expects to be a game of fine margins. Le Bris said he had been impressed by the support of the fans this season and was confident it would be no different on Tuesday night.

"Just to keep the same idea [is my message to fans], they have been connected with us for the whole of the season," Le Bris said.

"What is really important is to stay connected with the scenario, maybe even with the worst-case scenario it's still possible. Until the end we will fight, and if they are with us, it's even better.

"I hope they can the twelfth man. Our fans at Coventry were really good and we felt their support behind us. It will be even better at the Stadium of Light, for sure. It's important because these games are completely different and you can feel that in the atmosphere.. in the big games like at Burnley, Leeds.. and on Friday. So I hope this atmosphere will be loud, will be positively connected with the scenario of the game. We know that anything could happen and if there are tough moments we need their support, they will be give us strong momentum.”

The Sunderland players are set to be welcomed by fans as they arrive from the Academy of Light and Le Bris says the plans can give his team an extra boost.

"It shows that we are living a different moment now," he said.

"I think this club, this region deserves to be in this mood and to live a positive moment. You can win or you can lose, it's the essence of the sport. We need every positive vibe the supporters can give us."

‘It’s a big opportunity to write something massive’ - Le Bris

Le Bris urged his players not to get carried away and focused on the task at hand but said everyone at the club was well aware of the opportunity at hand.

“Yes, the consequences are really important for the club, for the fans, for the players, for our lives,” Le Bris said.

“But at the same time, it's still football and for me, if we look too far away, if we think about the future, we are not focused on the most important thing.

“The first minute will be the most important for us, and then we will have the second minute, the third minute and so on, so my view is only about this, about the game, the way we want to adapt, about the unexpected, about the way we want to manage the game-plan and so on.

“After that, we'll have to face the consequences. But it's a big opportunity to write something massive, I agree.”

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