SUNDERLAND are set to appeal against the six-game suspension that will prevent assistant manager Jamie McAllister from being in the stadium for either leg of the play-off semi-final with Lincoln City.

The Black Cats set up a two-legged tie against the Imps as they signed off the regular League One season with a 1-1 draw against Northampton Town this afternoon. The first game will take place at Sincil Bank on Wednesday, May 19, with the return fixture set to be staged in front of fans at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, May 22.

McAllister was not in Sunderland’s home ground today as the FA have issued him with a six-match suspension after he was involved in an altercation in the tunnel during the Black Cats’ win over Oxford United last month.

The first three games are a full stadium ban, while the final three matches will see McAllister banned from the touchline but allowed to be present at the game. That means if Sunderland make the play-off final, Lee Johnson’s right-hand man can travel to Wembley in a non-coaching role, but the Black Cats are ready to launch an appeal against the penalty.

“As it stands, he (McAllister) has been charged and has got a six-match ban,” said Johnson, whose opposite number in the Oxford camp, Karl Robinson, served the first game of his own four-match suspension yesterday. “Three of those are stadium bans – three of those are touchline bans. We have got the opportunity to appeal, and the early thought process is that we will.

“Obviously, you’ve got to have grounds to appeal, and we believe we’ve got that, we believe it is unjust. But at the same time, we’ve got to put our case and our argument forward.”

Today’s game was something of a non-event, with Carl Winchester’s late strike cancelling out a deflected free-kick from Sam Hoskins, but it did at least ensure Sunderland will play the second leg of their semi-final at home.

“I think that’s a huge prize for us,” said Johnson. “You know what you’ve got to do coming back home. That doesn’t mean it’s any easier and you can take your foot off the gas, but the fans know what you’ve got to do and everybody can buy into that game-plan.

“That was the objective before the game, to finish third or fourth so we’ve got the home tie (second). As it turns out, we finished fourth, but you’ve only got to look at Portsmouth and Ipswich to see teams that have been in a similar position during the season, but haven’t been able to get over the line.”

Ross Stewart was absent from today’s game, with Johnson revealing the striker has suffered a hamstring tear that makes him a doubt for both legs of the semi-final. Tom Flanagan was also not involved today, with Sunderland attempting to arrange a friendly game on Friday to enable the centre-half to test his fitness.