Gillingham boss on why Stadium of Light is 'great place to play' against 'under pressure' Sunderland

Sunderland, who dropped to seventh after their free weekend, are looking to get back into a play-off place when Gillingham visit Wearside for the 3pm Saturday League One game.

Gillingham are four points clear of the drop zone and are looking to pile more pressure on Alex Neil.

“We have some tough games and sometimes they are the best ones to play,” Harris told Kent Online.

“Teams that have something to play for, they feel the nervousness of the league table and feel the pressure of the situation, while teams like Accrington, all game they played with a care-free attitude, a bit like Bolton, with everything to gain and nothing to lose.

"They can be really dangerous sides. You might get the odd team that don’t fancy it and they might be on the beach, but the majority of times you find teams go and play with a freedom and raise their levels without the fear.

“Teams certainly at the top of the table, with so much to play for, so much to lose, those are sometimes good ones for us to play.”

When asked about what it is like to play at the Stadium of Light, Harris said: “The Stadium of Light is a great place to play our football, probably in front of a crowd of around 30,000, a great atmosphere, huge football club that are under huge pressure to go up in the play-offs and get promoted this year.

“We talked about Sheffield Wednesday recently in a similar way, they have an array of talent, very good players, can play various systems under Alex Neil, who is a vastly experienced manager and we know it is a very tough ask but it is a great one for us, with the form we are in and the confidence and belief that we have in the group."

Sunderland had a free weekend last time out after their game with Rotherham United was postponed due to international call-ups.

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