Post
by Bluemike » Sun Feb 04, 2018 3:56 pm
What a very rewarding trip to Sunderland that turned out to be, in fact the football wasn't too bad either !!! Having travelled up Friday morning I had the opportunity to speak to a few Sunderland fans pre game and it is all too evident that they have given up and that relegation is a formality, everyone I spoke to is downbeat about the whole situation and a slide into oblivion was even mentioned. The big question was could Town take advantage of a team in turmoil ? Would the picture that was painted to me pan out on the pitch in the same way ?
While enjoying a pre match Beer or Three with fellow Town fans in the Wheatsheaf pub we got news of the team sheet, no Celina or McGoldrick, instead the hapless Freddie Sears and the to say the least inconsistent Grant Ward given starts, add to that the expected place back in Midfield for Cole Skuse at the expense of the slightly unfortunate Stephen Gleeson, CCV kept his place at CB with Adam Webster on the bench, the general feel was one of disappointment at the starting line up, time would tell if our scepticism would prove justified or otherwise.
A vociferous band of around 1000 Tractor Boys and girls greeted the players while the home fans resembled a group of mourning relatives attending a wake, not a murmer at all from the Mackem supporters. The opening two or three minutes saw Town make a good start, on the front foot from the off, passing the ball around and getting forward. It wasn't long however before the home side got into their stride and were looking the more dangerous of the sides, Sunderland had a great chance to go ahead early doors but the striker fired wide as Bart closed him down, it was a let off for sure. Not long after the hosts had anopther attempt which was blocked and flew over the bar to safety. Around the Twnety minute mark Town were so close to going ahead against the run of play, after being awarded a freekick Waghorn, who had started very brightly slammed the kick against the bar with the keeper beaten. At the other end an O'Shea header was close to giving Sunderland the lead but thankfully it cleared the back post. Town had started to force their way into the game and went ahead from a cracking goal from Joe Garner, a ball in from Spence was played back to Garner who wriggled his way free before turning and hitting a lovely shot low into the corner of the goal, the Town fans behind that goal exploded into celebration as the players celebrated in front of us.
The goal totally changed the flow of the game, it was Town now in the ascendancy and for me it was so obvious the confidence and belief drained out of the Sunderland players, it was a blow from which they were never going to recover. With the ref about to blow his whistle for half time Town doubled their lead, some superb work from the very impressive Grant Ward caused panic in the Sunderland defence and with freddie Sears near to bundling the ball home the defender had little chance other than to steer the ball into his own net, it really was a fantastic feeling becuase even at that stage it just never looked as if Sunderland had it in them to turn it around. Town had weathered an early storm and come into it, a down point for me was yet again the woeful showing of Jonas Knudsen who I have to say is without doubt a big weak link in our team, fortunately we were playing Sunderland who have Ten of him in their team.
The second half was by and large uneventful and Twon were so comfortable throughout, half chances fell either end but neither keeper was really troubled that much, Ward was having his best game in a Town shirt in months while Carter-Vickers also caught my eye with his positional reading of the game and mopped up a fair few loose balls/ tackles etc. More good work from Ward had Sears in a good position but he did what he does best and f*cked it up. Strong claims by the home players and fans for a penalty were brushed aside by the ref after a cross clearly hit Knudsen on the arm, Town were sitting in with two banks of Four & Five and it was oh so comfortable for a change, Sub Lua-Lua brought the first real save of the match from Bart in the 70th minute as he had to get down low to smother the ball. With home fams streaming out of the stadium it was Town who really should have grabbed a Third through the hard working Waghorn, Connolly threading a super pass through into the path of the striker who took it on and poked it past the advancing keeper, unfortunately the ball crept agonisingly wide of the post when it really should have been number Three.
For me it was a very good show from Town, after the opening twenty minutes there was only looking like one winner, more pleasing was the way we tried to play football, I don't recall a single unnecessary hoof of the ball at all, we stood firm at the back against a pretty weak attack while in the centre we competed for everything, Ward had a super game while waghorn ran his socks off, Freddie treid hard and got into good positions but his finishing and decision making has gone, Garner got the crucial goal with a lovely finish, pretty much the perfect away showing and everyone worked so hard, I do feel we are weak at LB but that would be looking for something to moan about. Fair play to Mick, he got the line up right and his tactical switch after a shaky Twenty minutes workled a treat and ultimately won the game, fair do's.
Bart (7) Spence (6) Chambers (6) Carter-Vickers (7) Knudsen (5) Skuse (6) Connolly (6) Sears (6) Waghorn (7) Ward (8) Garner (7)
SUBS :- Gleeson (6) Hyam (6)
Walking back to the hotel after the game a couple of Sunderland fans said that must be the easiest Three points we will get all seasaon and to a degree they are right, however in the past we have not got the job done, I made a point that not everything is good at Ipswich either to which they replied "it coulb be a bloody sight worse" and of course theya re right, if only we played that way the whole the time and try to go for games, take it to the opposition, if we get beat playing that way then so be it and as Mach said to me at the match even if we had lost yesterday there could be little complaining really as we at least played football and entertained. COYB'S.
