The last Sunderland hero at Goodison Park
Last updated on .From the section Football
Few grounds have proved as much of a stumbling block for Sunderland as Everton's Goodison Park.
The Black Cats have won just two games in that corner of Liverpool in 30 years, the last of which came in November 1996, when Craig Russell's goal sealed a Premier League victory in an otherwise miserable campaign.
"[Peter] Reid pulled us on the morning, I didn't expect to play as I hadn't been in the team, but he told me I was in the side. It was a bit of a shock," Russell told BBC Look North.
"Neville Southall was in goal for Everton and Alex Rae jinked down the right hand side and crossed it in.
"I managed to get my head on it and it went in the bottom corner, it was a fantastic feeling."
Though much has changed at both clubs since that time in terms of personnel, trips to Merseyside have proved uninspiring affairs for the Wearsiders.
Four defeats in the last four visits, including a 7-1 hammering in November 2007, mean Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final looks an ominous task for Martin O'Neill's Sunderland.
"The fans are right on top of you, there's a good atmosphere in an old-style ground," Russell added.
"David Moyes gets them up and at you, so hopefully we'll turn that record round this weekend.
"It's a tough place to go, but it's not just Sunderland who struggle, a few teams do."
Russell, who currently works at his boyhood favourites as a masseur, would love to see his side go all the way to Wembley this season.
Under O'Neill, the Black Cats have impressed of late, beating Everton's rivals Liverpool at the Stadium of Light last weekend, while the Toffees go into the game on the back of Tuesday's 3-0 derby defeat.
"It's going to be tough, we've got a few missing but the lads who have come in have done fantastically, got a good result," Russell added.
"Anything can happen on the day, it's a cup tie, we've got a fantastic following and it'll be a bit like a home game."
