I’ve just looked at the list of City’s possible players for this afternoon and I wish I hadn’t. I dread to think what the likes of Wright-Phillips, Tevez and Adebayor could do to our back four and Ireland always seems to score against us too. Their home form is good while I don’t need to mention our away efforts so far. After our recent largely dire performances I’m amazed that we’re still tenth in the league but the truth is that if we get a result today we’ll be sitting pretty and with a winnable home game on Boxing Day things could be looking good as we enter 2010. Could be... that’s the worrying part. We all know that every team has a bad run at some point in the season and I hope that we’re coming to the end of ours. There’s been a general lack of confidence and the same players who played a stormer against Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal are hesitant against the likes of Portsmouth, with Reid’s form being typical of this. We may all be worried but Mark Hughes is the man with his head on the block today and if City fail to win, he could well be out the door. As usual my heart is ruling my head and I think we’ll get a result today.

I got Radio Newcastle on and there were a few surprises when the teams were announced with Turner passing a fitness test and Jones being replaced by Campbell. I was happy to see Mensah in there and the fact that Robinho and Adebayor weren’t starting for them didn’t do my mood any harm either. After already forcing a couple of corners City went one-up after only three minutes when Santa Cruz had the time to tap it in with our defence dithering again. As Gary Bennett said, we had a mountain to climb. That mountain became even higher eight minutes later when Nos was adjudged to have pushed Bellamy and Tevez scored from the spot. This had come about after poor defending by Turner and Mensah. At this stage it was looking like a 5-0 defeat, at least, but a few minutes later we were suddenly back in it when a Reid cross was headed in by Mensah. Richards was on the deck while we scored and he was duly replaced by Zavaleta. We fought back gallantly and Given did well to keep out efforts by Campbell and Bent before we equalized from the resultant corner when Henderson smacked it in. City were clearly well-dodgy at corners; they must’ve taken a leaf out of our book. We’d scored as many goals in thirty minutes as we’d managed in the previous six matches so at least we’ve turned that particular corner. It sounded like an error-strewn game but it also sounded riveting. Ten minutes before the break City took the lead again when the unmarked Bellamy, who was in the thick of everything, scored after good work by Wright-Phillips. Somehow I didn’t feel dejected as I reckoned we could get another one back because City’s defence was almost as leaky as ours. Malbranque was struggling and was replaced by Jones as we went 4-4-2 with half-time looming. There were three minutes of added time but it was still 3-2 at the break.

It was snowing as the second-half kicked off and there were no further changes. You certainly wouldn’t have bet on it finishing 3-2. Wright-Phillips tripped and hurt himself on the advertising board and was replaced by Kompany. I was glad to see him go as he’d been a danger. Every time I heard Tevez’s name I tensed and Fulop made a great save from him to keep us just about in it. Richardson replaced Campbell after ten minutes or so. The game had been pretty even with chances at both ends and then we equalized just after the hour-mark when Jones scored with a low header after a great one-two by Nos and Henderson. Whatever the final result, we’d displayed the spirit that had been lacking for too long. Given went doolally, claiming that the ball had gone out of play but only received a card for his efforts, and it wasn’t a festive one. With over twenty minutes to go you still wouldn’t have bet on it finishing 3-3. I heard that it was snowing heavily and hoped the match wouldn’t be abandoned after all our efforts. Santa Cruz put them ahead, again, a few minutes later after Mensah’s header went astray and a few more City efforts then went horribly close. With fifteen minutes left I was surprised to hear that Healy was about to come on but he replaced Mensah, who’d scored a good goal but had sounded rusty, and there was much rejuggling. The game had had just about everything so maybe a Healy goal wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility? As it turned out, he did his usual disappearing act. Ireland almost got his customary goal against us but Fulop saved well. With four minutes to go Petrov replaced Bellamy and I was glad to see him go too. Cattermole was booked for allegedly hitting Barry in the face. There were four minutes of added time and there was still a chance of a goal at either end. Barry was on the receiving end again when Turner was judged to have smacked him in the face and the latter received a straight red. Two sendings-off in two games is nothing to be proud of but it sounded like a harsh decision and will hopefully be successfully appealed. It ended 4-3 but despite another defeat and us slipping down the table as well as some appalling defending, I feel strangely heartened by this afternoon’s events. Have a good Christmas and see you at the Everton match.

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