'Momentum building' at Sunderland as Black Cats move above Portsmouth in League One table

While Kenny Jackett’s side were disposing of Fleetwood in the third round of the FA Cup, the Stadium of Light outfit were hosting Michael Appleton’s Imps in the third tier.

Before kick-off, Sunderland sat 14th in the standings, with only one win in the division since November 2 and three points below Pompey in the table.

But they now sit above the Blues, who drop to 10th, on goal difference following goals from Lynden Gooch (2) and Tom Flanaghan against Lincoln.

The 3-1 win has seen the Black Cats pick up seven points from their past three games, and, like Pompey, they are now just a point off the play-offs with a game in hand on sixth-placed Peterborough.

Parkinson, who was appointed Sunderland boss in October and suffered a tough start to life on Wearside, admitted Saturday’s win was a ‘big’ one for the club.

He also said things were starting to click for himself and the players as they go into the second half of the season.

Parkinson told chroniclelive.co.uk: ‘It was a big win for us (against Lincoln).

‘After coming away from Fleetwood (on New Year’s Day) with a point when it probably should have been all three, it was important that we got all three points and in the first half we blew Lincoln away.

‘Some of the football we played was excellent, we made the pitch big when in possession, took the sting out of the game with the ball at times, and when we pressed we pressed quickly together.

‘I knew this Christmas period was really key for us and there is some momentum building within the group – there is a tightness about them, a good spirit about them, and I think the supporters could see that (on Saturday) and certainly the ones who travelled away to Fleetwood could see it as well.’

Sunderland’s next game is at home against league leaders Wycombe on Saturday.

The same day, Pompey take on AFC Wimbledon at Fratton Park.

The Blues welcome the Black Cats to PO4 on Saturday, February 1