Another Tuesday night, another game we can’t go to, another bang average review of the nights proceedings…….

BIG Game?

Yep they all are when your aim is promotion. In a normal football context, a draw wouldn’t be the end of the world, even a defeat shouldn’t be the end of the world? In a Sunderland football context it seems if we don’t win a game it is a disaster, we did win on Saturday and the positivity was limited. It’s very much a game of opinions, and differing opinions only add to this in a positive manner.  I don’t want to be in L1, it’s shit, but that’s where we are unfortunately. I actually think that we are doing well and much as I’d love to win every game easily with fast flowing football, it’s not that easy….

Following Sunderland is a tough gig, historically the pain outweighs the joy. Like a dog that’s been kicked too much, it takes its fucking toll? I’m generally pretty positive, here’s an example of 3 scenarios come 9pm tonight…..

• We lose or draw. WhatsApp messages = ‘we’re Shit, Parky’s Shit etc….’
• Win but not in the style of Barcelona. WhatsApp messages =  ‘we’re not good enough, we were lucky, it’s papering over the cracks etc….’
• Smash them in style. WhatsApp messages = ‘you have no new messages….’

Maybe it’s trepidation, caution? Maybe it’s negativity, morbid fascination? Maybe I just attract misery? But hopefully my phone will be quiet come 9pm

As a last thought on this….. Saturday was a bit of a slog, they missed a pen, we won 2-0. We had another 4 or 5 very scorable chances? Imagine if we’d been Gillingham? Lucky pen, couldn’t even score it, lost our discipline, could have conceded 6, offered absolutely nothing apart from set pieces, penalty was our only shot etc….. winning 2-0 isn’t that bad is it?

Pre teamsheet teamsheet thoughts….

Maguire in for O’Brien I’d expect? I don’t expect any other changes, but  obviously I’m not privy to info re; any knocks, tiredness etc, so not out the question we see the fit again Willis? 

Actual teamsheet……

The new normal seems to be to kick off at 7pm now, same again tonight…..

Like the majority of the nation I’ve got fuck all scheduled for the next 12 weeks or so….. 30 minutes matters not? If anything it’s a positive as it means I can watch Emmerdale Farm in real time.

And we’re off…..

7 minutes…… great ball into the box, great first touch from Charlie and a calm finish. Strikers and confidence eh? Bizarrely it was from almost the exact same patch of grass that he had a goal wrongly disallowed vs them in February.

28 minutes…… not something that will crop up in the stats or low quality lazy newspaper write ups. But, Scowen tracks back and wins the ball, we attack with pace in numbers, they look rattled, we win a corner…..nothing came of the corner, but this level of intensity, fitness and working as a unit, is what was at the root of our good run post Christmas and it’s what will hopefully get us promoted. Whilst football is often rightly referred to as The Beautiful Game, this is League 1 and sometimes it’s not so pretty, often your best work is done without the ball at your feet?

38 minutes……. it’s bad enough conceding a goal, I didn’t realise the stream is about 90 seconds behind SkySports News? Seeing it’s 1-1 on the big TV, whilst we are 1-0 up and attacking on the small screen is a bit depressing…..is it better for a condemned man to have a date? I’m never sure. Anyway….. hugely disappointing, they’d offered nothing up til now 1-1

Half Time….. they’ve grown in confidence and controlled the game since equalising. Need to regroup and go again, at least my prediction of 3-1 is still on.

2nd half…… Power on for Scowen, I can only assume it’s a result of Josh nearly having his head knocked off defending a free kick? Should be ok if Max plays a little higher than Grant – we can’t afford them both to sit deep?

47 minutes…… no TV replay, but surely that’s a penalty to them? Looked nailed on?

63 minutes…… poor touch by Flanagan, they should probably score but don’t. This has the feel of a game that needs a change ASAP, Gooch looked lively 2nd half but not a great deal ahead of him, Grigg ahead of Graham for me

66 minutes…… Graham on – Maguire off. Pleasing to see the change on 66 minutes rather than 76. Come on Danny, show us what you can do!!

72 minutes……. bonus, having not given a single yellow card when he could have given half a dozen, they get a straight red. 11 vs 10 again. COME ON LADS!

75 minutes…… similar feel to Saturday now, they’ve settled for a point, we are the better team without really threatening a great deal, as with Saturday, this is an opportunity to win an important game, I’ve no doubt we will have a couple of chances before the end

84 minutes…… similar to Saturday indeed, an 84th minute penalty to go ahead against 10 men! I’m not up to speed with the handball laws as they seem to change fairly often? I’m guessing by the letter of the law it’s a penalty, but a ball heading away from goal hitting the defenders hand from about a yard away feels a little harsh!

87 minutes……. Charlie nearly puts it to bed

5, (five) minutes added on……we look nervy as fuck.

GAME OVER ✅⚽️

“Another shit win……”

Couple of days to go and we’re not allowed out again, it’s not going to be easy in lots of ways. Football is as good an escape as we are going to have….. waiting for the day, you’re not looking for something else….. stay safe, stay positive, be kind.

FTM