SOS – a season al cry of Same Old Sunderland. Here we go again. Despite it being only a week since Man City, it seems like forever since last we kicked a ball. I hope you’ve all had a great Christmas and that it helped to take your minds off the nonsense at Eastlands. As suspensions and injuries make our defensive options about as threadbare as those cheap socks you got yesterday. At least we know what the refs are supposed to do about flying elbows, so Fellaini should only last two or three minutes. Filled with yesterday’s bread and dripping (yes, I know how to feast at Christmas), it was off to the match

As ever, it being a Bank Holiday of sorts, the bus left an hour early – maybe taking into account that it snowed on Christmas Day in our neck of the woods, on top on all the white stuff that came down in the previous week. A veritable fleet of buses (three) left the Station as the skies grew ever darker, and even the climb up Houghton Cut failed to provide the usual climate change, it still being snowy and dull at the top. Sunderland itself was sunny if not warm, and we tried a couple in Fitzies before heading over the bridge for the traditional Boxing Day Disappointment (copyright SAFC). With the aforementioned defensive unavailabilities, we lined up:

Fulop
Bardsley Mensha Da Silva McCartney
Steed Hendo Cana Reid
Jones Bent

There was warm applause followed by a well-observed minute’s silence for those with red and white affiliations who are no longer with us – a special thought for Squinny amongst others.

To be fair, the game was fairly open from the off, with Hibbert hoofing the ball out of defence at every opportunity and Cahill and Pienaar being their usual irritating selves, while Fellaini kept himself and his elbows in a deep midfield position. We sprayed it about midfield and forced Howard to punch away early on, with Jones closing in. They won a corner, we did likewise, and it was end to end stuff – a bit more like what the TV people like to call a cup-tie. Da Silva and Mensah produced great tackles and headers as Everton forced a bit of a scramble in our box, then Hendo, Bent, Steed, and Jones were involved in a good move that ended with Howard claiming the ball. Cana produced some great work to break down an Everton move as they tried to come out of defence quickly again, and then it was the turn of Saha to get into the game, twice firing wide. Steeed played in Jones, but the shot was over as we at last began to assert ourselves, then Jones headed into the path of Bent to do what he does best – 1-0 with a smart shot from just inside the box on 17 or so. A lovely finish to a lovely move, and we followed it up when Bent robbed Baines and won a corner. Hendo skipped past his marker in what is becoming trademark fashion, but when Jones put in the perfect cross, Reid could only cushion the header over the bar. Fellaini ( who, you might gather, I have little time for) should have been booked for hoofing the ball fifty yards away from a foul and refusing to rise to the taunts of “there’s only one Richie Pitt” – oh, to have been able to rub a bit of chut into his stupid haircut. An open and end to end first half ended as Reid cleared with his right from a yard in front of the line, and a lot of Everton pressure, while Hendo and Steed swapped positions. Reid’s free kick was headed out of Howard’s hand by a defender, and, despite allowing the visitors lots of possession, we were just about worth the lead. Da Silva produced a tackle straight out of the Martin Harvey book of lovely tackles (see current issue if ALS for details), and the young lad next to me broke out a Cadbury’s Cream Egg in celebration.

No changes for the second half, and the visitors won an early corner, but Cana broke to set Bent away, but his pass to Hendo found only the corner flag. As we continued to allow Everton to take the advantage Mensah produced some brilliant tackles and interceptions, with Da Silva doing likewise when required. Hendo’s low cross was met on the volley by Bent, but Mr Dynamite could not keep his effort down. Ten minutes in, and Zenden replaced Steed, taking up a more central position. He soon got on the end of a Bent pass to cut inside and shot, but it was comfy for Howard. Reid’s free (from a foul on Jones – at last) found Da Silva, but his header was tipped onto the bar, and with twenty to go, the obvioulsy knackered Mensah was replaced by Noz. After a couple of corners by Everton, and teh odd break from us, there was yet another cross into the box, it was knocked down, and there was Fellaini to thump home from ten yards or so. Same Old Sunderland, although we did manage to conjure up a shot from Hendo that was just wide. We seemd to get the lead then decide that one was enough and switch off the attack button. Fair enough, Everton realised that they were missing some key players and worked around that by getting crosses into our box as soon as the opportunity arose. A second goal would have forced them to come forward more and leave bigger gaps for us to break into, but we didn’t seemed that bothered about going for it until they got their goal – which was five minutes from the end and thus too late.

Man of the Match? Had Mensah competed the full game, it would have gone to him, but as he didn’t it goes to Da Silva who was as cool the weather.

Keep the Faith

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