The day was always going to an emotional one and you could tell from the moment you arrived at the Stadium that the occasion was going to be hard to overcome. However, Sunderland AFC done everything they could to make sure the day went the way Ian Porterfield would have wanted it to go. The minutes applause, the parading of the FA Cup with the ten legends under Stokoe’s guidance, all there to share their pain but promote their honour in a moment that brought a tear to even youngsters eyes.
Even small things like making my way up to my usual seat in row 28 reminded me of the famous walk our lads made back in 1973 it was full of small moments like this to always keep the memory that Porterfield gave so many fans on that great day to be a Sunderland fan.
Keane in his unusual style kept the same team from the previous game as he must have been impressed by the efforts the lads put in against Manchester before the International football. The importance of picking up three points was massive and this would have been drilled into the players, even for the ones traveling away with their countries and this paid off as we ran out comfortable winners, well until the last few minutes of course!
Reading are a team full of surprises and looking at their team sheet with no disrespect, they have no big name players but as Keane would appreciate they work so well together and fight for every single ball. Two bright managers faced each other and the Irish legend won his first battle by getting the points with a good performance.
So after we paid our respects the game finally got underway and Sunderland played some very neat football. The first chance fell to Lita but his volley went sailing over the bar, this acted as a wake up call and then Sunderland began to move forward searching for their first goal in over 250 minutes of football. Kenwyne Jones made his home debut alongside Higginbotham and both were joint candidates for man of the match awards. Jones was a nuisance all afternoon and as Keane said after the game: “They didn’t know how to handle him” was a very correct statement for the T&T striker.
He made the first chance with his power and persistence but his low drive was palmed away by Hehnemann only for Chops to be in an offside position to head over. The signs looked even more encouraging when Leadbitter caught a sweet right foot volley only for their keeper again to save well down low to his right side.
Leadbitter was guilty however of losing possession in a dangerous area by fannying about on the ball but Reading were unable to test Gordon that much in the first half. Anytime the Reading strikers came forward Noz seemed to deal comfortably on the floor and Higginbotham cleared anything up in the air. Of course it goes without saying Noz had his usual moment of madness by heading back to Gordon when he was out his box but the Scot dealt with the calamity moment well.
Reading resorted to hoofing the ball and the game was not even in the 30 minute stage, we broke down play well with both Etuhu and Yorke having important roles in the centre. The short passing in the build up to the goal was the type of pass and move play we grew to love last season, Leadbitter into Jones who touched it round the defender with his right and blasted into the net with his left. Cue celebrations we have never seen at the SoL – a player doing a back flip – let’s hope for more to come in the next few months!
Once the goal was scored we burst into life and created many more chances and were guilty of not taking at least two of them before half-time. The best chance that Jones missed was made by Wallace jinking and moving on the left side and found Jones unmarked in the 6yrd area, he connected too well and it hit the floor and went over. Apart from that it was a comfortable half and lifted somber spirits at the break.
The second half began and before everyone had removed the taste of watered down alcohol and hot pie from their throats we had scored the crucial second goal. Jones who evaded five Reading players, moved the ball out onto the right byline and fired the cross in, Chops missed it but Wallace the streaker was there to tap home and remove his top in front of the North Stand.
Everything seemed to come through Jones who had a debut only dreams are made of with Etuhu having a shot just wide it felt as though the game was finished. Sunderland still had a lot to do and the effort and tackles flying in from all areas of the pitch was encouraging to see as it shows a lack of complacency. Chopra was fairly quiet but this will happen when he is alongside such a great target man in Jones as he needs to wait and feed from his flick ons and through balls. Jones did send Chopra through in the 70th minute but he delayed his shot until the last moment only for him to fire wide.
The ground was still in a rather still mood due to the occasion but in all credit to the SWC something happened that would make anyone’s hair on their neck stand up for Porterfield. The applause kept going around the stadium during the game for at least two minutes and this moment would be the final send off for the FA Cup legend. Hopefully that will have helped his family who came down to understand his appreciation amongst the SAFC fans.
The T&T striker made another chance for Wallace as his tireless work on the right managed to create a cross that was blocked by Chopra and Wallace with the goal gaping had his effort cleared off the line. Higginbotham managed to extinguish any threats from Reading and won every single ball that came near him. The back four played really well and Collins looked decent with Wallace on the left and McShane being solid on the right hand side.
As usual though, in true Sunderland style we managed to make life nervy at the end of the game in the final ten minutes. Noz gave away possession and we managed to gift them three dangerously placed free kicks to add to our worries. They managed to grab a late consolation through the gingerest man in the World Dave Kitson and a clean sheet was the only fault I can give for this performance. We managed to keep them at bay in the closing stages and climbed up to 14th in the league and restore belief back in everyone before the Tyne-Tees derby next weekend.
Man of the match – Kenwyne Jones, Jones, Jones – original chant!
P.S
It was a day full of sadness and memories for every Sunderland fan but it was also an emotional day for me and 380 people who attended a charity night at the SoL for the death of a friend and SMB poster Liam Gash after the game. The night was to raise awareness for Marfan’s syndrome, which Liam was diagnosed with whilst traveling in Australia. The night proved to be a marvellous occasion and a total of £10,524.60 was raised in one evening to help the charity. Sir Niall Quinn started the night by staying behind until the banqueting suite was full to say his praises of Liam supporting the club and how sadly he will be missed. No other chairman I know would miss his flight back to Ireland and write to the family to express his sadness as this chairman did. Sir Niall you are a legend.