……dances round defenders, as the song goes. Well actually no, he stands six inches off the line and nods in a ball coming back across the goal. And do we or does he care? Answers on an e-mail to [email protected].
Last year this game was a night match and timing meant I had to watch it without alcohol. Are there any teetotallers who are SAFC supporters? If so, how do they manage it? It was undoubtedly the worst match of last season. But if it was bad for me, it was nowt compared to tubby. He started in central midfield with Thirwell and was truly hopeless. He left Thirl exposed the whole time and after 20 minutes we were three goals down (tubs was finally sent off). This was probably a worse moment for tubby’s career than the moment he found the kebab shop in Sunderland. From that moment on Mick Mac was not prepared to risk him in central midfield (and from the horror of my soberness I agree). Today Robbo and hokey cokey Jeff were injured and Piper is still not quite back and yet tubby can’t even get on the bench. What a sad state of affairs for possibly our most talented player.
In fact we didn’t have any midfielders on the bench. Two strikers (for an away match!) and two defenders. Strange but it worked so I can’t knock it.
So we got to a pub (Gardeners’s something – opposite the Plough on Campbell Road) pretty early. No Sky (had to miss the high quality glitzy premiership attraction of Fulham v Blackburn). But good Guiness! The Stoke fans were not optimistic. They worried that they just couldn’t score goals but thought their defence was solid (even without Teggart). A fairly accurate assessment of what was to come in fact. We were pleased that Akinbiyi was suspended, which amused them as our fear of him is not reflected in their admiration of him. They thought Arca was suspended but because our game against the Ippos was on a Sunday the seven days weren’t yet up, which depressed them. Most worrying they weren’t able to settle an argument as to whether Stoke was in the Midlands or “North” (that is the North as it is described, which of course is a 100 mile or so south of us).
In the ground the away end was (the two secured off corners excepted) was pretty full. It’s a great end to get a bit of atmosphere going – we weren’t going to turn down the opportunity. Particular credit to the lad behind me who kept trying to get the “We are, we are Wearside …” song going. It’s just about the best oldie we have and we don’t use it enough. Well I joijned in every time marra – keep up the good work.
First half we were kicking away from our end. Lawrence and Arca were giving us a very wide shape but pleasingly, and so different to last year, Carter and Deano had control of central midfield. Elliott and Stew were struggling to get meaningful chances. We got to half time thinking “this is very much like Leicester” – not a lot happening but we seemed sufficiently in control of the match to maybe get something out of it. However, Stoke were effectively playing like an away team at the SoL with the majority of the team behind the ball.
Second half and we still couldn’t break them down. I though Lawrence was fading as an influence – I still think he is more effective coming on as a sub when opposition players don’t have time to adapt to him. Arca was losing some silly balls but McCartney was getting forward well. Stoke were probably getting more shots on target but they tended to be coming from distance and you would have been disappointed if Myrhe didn’t stop them. Myrhe was also the starting point of many of our best moves with his quick distribution (after some wayward kicking out in the first half).
Our defence remained as solid as ever, lead by the peerless Breen. It’s a great position to be in – that first choice back four really do look as if they could hold any team and that always gives us the chance to nick games.
Brown came on for the again disappointing Stewart, who must be very close to the end of his career as first choice SAFC striker. Pity because to be fair to the lad he is still putting in the effort. Brown once again changed the shape of the game and gave the Stoke defenders more to worry about. However, we still couldn’t break them down. Then towards the end Bridges came on for Elliott, who also had not managed to impose himself on the game as much as we know he can. It must drive the Stokes of the this world mad that we can start with two strikers like Stew and Elliott and then bring on two like Brown and Bridges, with Kyle still to come back from injury. God only knows how these lads would fare in the prem but this is a strength in depth up front that no other Championship club can come near to matching.
With seven minutes left we won a corner on the right and, again like Leicester, this was what our goal came from. SAFC, deadly from corners! Whatever next? Lawrence sent in a ball that was near the goal-line but was deep. Carter got into a good position just beyond the far post and headed it back past the goalie, trapped in no-man’s land as he tried to follow the ball. Bridges was almost on the line and, despite the attention of the Stoke defence was able to get an easy header into the net. Four years since he last scored a league goal and oh how he went mad! It would have been impolite not to join in.
We then had a number of decent chances to double the lead as the game opened up but we had one horrible scare still to come when they had a ball come in from a corner and from our end it looked like the defence and the goal opened up if only a Stoke player could make contact. They didn’t and so we went home with the three points.
We really are looking impressive. We’re not managing to show a lot of flair as teams lift their game against us but we have players who have a significant amount of skill for this division. Best of all the lads are playing as a team and are playing for each other. We may still be a point or two behind Wigan and Ipswich but we’ve got to feel we can reverse that in the not too distant future. Haaaawaaaaayyyyy!!