THEY might not carry the same allure as a Chelsea or a Manchester United, but Liam Lawrence is hoping this weekend's visit of Northwich Victoria marks a turning point in Sunderland's season.

Northwich, who are third in Nationwide North following Monday's 2-1 win over Droylsden, visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday in the third round of the FA Cup.

Few would give the non-league minnows any chance of upsetting the odds against last season's Championship title winners, but Sunderland's recent form hardly augurs well.

The Black Cats have only won two games in all competitions since the end of last season, with Monday's 2-1 defeat at Fulham the latest in a long line of defeats to have undermined a series of relatively consistent displays.

Tellingly, though, the first of those two successes also came against lowly opposition in the cup. Mick McCarthy's men knocked Cheltenham out of the Carling Cup in September - a victory that came after a nervy half-hour of extra-time - and, five days later, the Black Cats earned their best result of the season when they won at Middlesbrough.

Northwich are two leagues below even Cheltenham and Lawrence is hoping that a win on Saturday could have a similarly uplifting effect, despite his side's next league game coming against champions elect Chelsea.

"It's a classic potential banana skin," said the midfielder, who has started Sunderland's last five league games on the right of midfield. "But we need a win and, if we're honest, this is a great opportunity to get one.

"No disrespect to Northwich, but our fans will be expecting us to win comfortably and, at the moment, maybe that's just what we need.

"We will go into the game with the same attitude we have shown in our previous games. We can't expect to walk it and we know that. Having said that, we want to win and we want to win comfortably.

"Sometimes, it just needs one win to turn things around. Hopefully, if we get a win in the cup, it might set us up for a run in the league."

For that to happen, though, Sunderland need to improve on the wayward finishing and undisciplined defending that has proved so costly in recent weeks.

Lawrence doubled his tally for the season with a venomous volley that whistled past Fulham goalkeeper Tony Warner on Monday, but that goal was the club's first in four games.

Things have not been much better at the other end - Sunderland have shipped 38 goals in their 20 Premiership outings - and, while the players' effort and commitment is not open to question, their ability has been. Luck has hardly been on Sunderland's side this term, but perhaps they have not done enough to help themselves at crucial times in crucial matches.

"We keep on saying the same things," admitted Lawrence. "We are sick of saying them and I'm sure people are sick of hearing them, but Monday was another in a long line of games like that.

"We battered Everton at the weekend and put in another good performance at Fulham, but we have got nothing to show for it.

"I don't know how much more we can do. It breaks your heart.

"I don't think we can work any more. If there is one thing we pride ourselves on as a group of players, it is that we will work as hard as we can and do whatever we can to help each other out.

"It's just not going for us at the moment. But we are going to keep giving everything all the way to the end of the season."

* Sunderland defender Steven Caldwell has appealed against his dismissal for a professional foul at Fulham. He was sent off after 57 minutes for bringing down Heidar Helguson just outside the area.

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