Before
It's six days since The Match That Is Not To Be Named and it's still a very sore spot so let's hope we can start to move on this afternoon. I seem to recall the corresponding fixture back in February was the dullest home match last season but Kenwyne will surely add a bit of sparkle to the notoriously dour Stoke side and we'll have to be very much on our guard with him. We've all heard that we'll be playing 4-4-2 with Gyan making his starting debut and I doubt if anyone's going to argue with that. Mensah will surely start and it looks like Gordon and Richardson may well feature, both of which changes are fine by me. For Stoke Tungay has a lot of class and the host of other Sunderland old boys will be out to prove a point so it's going to be a tough test. The first goal will be crucial and if we can get it, I think we'll win, but if they get it, then there's going to be a mighty collective gnashing of teeth. I've got my tickets for the Spurs and Chelsea games and despite us usually rising to the occasion against better clubs, I'm not feeling over optimistic about us getting any points from those two matches so we need to get a win today. Match prediction: 2-1 to us (with fingers, toes and guts crossed).

After
As I queued up to get in, the bloke in front of me said that Bent wasn't playing and after the opening stages, during which Stoke had much the better of things, the picture wasn't looking at all good. Then we broke down the right and when the ball came into the box Gyan's shot was parried by Abegovic but like the ace striker he is, Gyan was right there to fire home the rebound. Gyan went on to have a great match all round and of course made us all wonder again why he hadn't started yet. I think he'll be starting every game from now on as his striking, attacking runs and clever flicks won the admiration of all around me in the East Stand. He even managed to win a header against Kenwyne at one point. Quite why Steed and not Gyan was allowed to take a penalty close to the half-hour mark after the latter was brought down was a mystery too and his weak shot to the right of the keeper was quite easily saved. At least it was the first time this season I've seen Steed get a shot on target. He didn't let it get to him, however, and proceeded to create wonders in midfield until he was subbed by Rico around the hour-mark.

The second half was largely dominated by Stoke and on several occasions we were scrambling like mad to get it out of our box as their corners caused mayhem. It looked like they'd equalized with twenty minutes to go when one of our defenders appeared to handle the ball as it crossed the line. After much hoo-hah and consultation with an assistant referee we were awarded a free-kick; at least I think we were, I was too stunned to take it all in. Anyway, it remained 1-0 and that seemed to knock the stuffing out of Stoke as we proceeded to take over. Our second goal came with four anxious minutes remaining and this time a cross into the box from the left was slotted in by Gyan. Cue much dancing on the goal-line and general relief all round. Prior to that Shawcross had gone off for a second yellow and Stoke collected four other yellows. Perhaps they were trying to emulate our own efforts last week? It ended 2-0 and there were smiles all round.

This was no vintage performance from us and in the first half we made far too many bad passes that brought terrible groans from the crowd. Still it's another three points, another clean sheet and another improvement on the corresponding game last season.
Now we can all look forward to what both Bent and Gyan can do upfront together. Spurs didn't look much good at all as I watched Bolton stuff them on the TV in Fitzgerald's so the two results give me some heart for Tuesday's encounter. See you there.

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