I’m confused of what to make of today. Going into it I expected 3 points, after half an hour I’d have taken a draw. After an hour I’d resigned myself to defeat but coming away from the game I’m deeply disappointed we haven’t won.
After 2 encouraging displays away from home, both returning no points however, we really couldn’t afford not to pick anything up today and really should be winning games like this. Fulham are having a poor season, they look very average and are on the same points. Injuries to our key players apart, there was no better time to play them. Chopra came back in for O’Donovan, otherwise Sunderland were unchanged.
The first half was scrappy, both teams looked edgy and short on confidence. Fulham got the first really good chance of the game after quarter of an hour when a ball over the top found its way in between Gordon and Higginbotham. Instead of leaving it to Gordon to clear or put it in the stand Higginbotham squared it across the 18 yard line to Nosworthy, except it was Healy who was there instead but he somehow missed an open goal. It was a real let-off.
From that we never really recovered. Balls we given away, there was no momentum with the passing and any hesitancy in defence was pounced on by their forwards. Just after the half hour a free kick was given away to the right of the box but a good 25 yards out. Simon Davies struck it superbly round the wall and into the top corner to give them the lead. Was it Gordon’s fault? Should the wall have done better? Or was it just a good strike? Certainly it was a good hit but it went into the side of the goal where Gordon wasn’t, so the wall should have been covering it, however, who sets the wall up? Yes it’s Gordon. He’ll inevitably get the blame for it but I think if he didn’t cost £9m then it would be just a good free-kick, but when you come for the money he did, people expect more.
After that we had a mad 10 minutes, it seemed to be falling apart a bit. Players were making mistakes, the crowd were getting onto them, and the players got more nervous and made more mistakes. It wasn’t looking good. Then one of their players got injured and the game stopped for a bit, everyone seemed to calm down and clear their heads and we ended the half with a couple of corners which ensured the boos that the team did get weren’t as bad as they might have been.
Second half and we came out a different team, seemingly with more of a plan of how to break them down and how to get crosses in. Jones was always a threat and whenever the ball went up to him he either won it and kept it or played it off and if he didn’t win it he made them make a mistake and take the pressure off. Stokes and Murphy came on and that gave us a bit more pace and power up front and on the flanks.
However a ball over the top from them saw Halford pull a shirt which gave him a second yellow and he was off. It was a hammer blow, but initially we kept things as they were playing three at the back. 2 minutes later though Kamara was put through with only Nosworthy to beat, he went through him and stuck it in the net, however it was deemed a foul and we were given a life line. This was the prompt for Keane to put Harte on and go back to four at the back. We were just hoping to nick a goal now and grab a point. But with 10 men and our best spell behind us it didn’t look good.
We kept going however; Leadbitter found himself free and with time in the box but a shot brought a fine save from Niemi. Crosses kept coming in, particularly from the left through Murphy but they just weren’t falling for Jones. Then with a free kick 4 minutes from time Leadbitter swung one in from the right and Jones powered in another header to level it. Should we sit on this now or go for it? Well we went for it and the last few minutes it was like Sunderland had 15 men and Fulham had 8, they were rocking. Crosses came in but either headers brought saves or shots were blocked. Then 3 minutes into injury time Stokes was put through, only the keeper to beat but he hit it straight at him and couldn’t reach the rebound. He should have scored and that should have been the winner but it pretty much summed the game up really.
So 1 point gained or 2 lost? I’m not sure. We had great chances and should have won it in the end but after Halford was sent off I would have took a point no problem. Certainly the performance wasn’t good at all but we once again scored a late goal. It’s to this team’s credit that that keeps happening, but too often it’s to get them out of trouble which usually they’ve put themselves in – two years ago we would have lost this game 3-0 and gave up. After playing well for 2 games and getting nothing we play poorly and get a point, with another away game coming up we may be better off playing there now. Particularly with Man City getting stuffed 6-0 today. It’s a strange game.
Man of the match – Kenwyne Jones. Head and shoulders, literally, above everybody else.
Report by marcopaul