Well they may be on for the quintuple but the otherwise all conquering Manure were not good enough to avoid defeat to wor Ressie Lads in Monday night’s tussle at the Stadium of Light in the FA Premier Reserve League. Our single goal win puts us five points clear and with a game extra to play on their nearest rivals.

SAFC lined up with Weir at right back, allowing Michael Kay to move across to the middle of the defence perhaps due to McArdle’s recent lack of form. Hartley partnered Kay and the impressive David Brown played at left back. We played five across the midfield with Cook, Chandler, Meyler, Captain Colback and Luscombe from right to left and Waggy up front.

It was a pretty standard start by the Lads, Maimer Meyler nailed their number ten within 44 seconds and we gave away umpty nine free kicks in the first five minutes. The nearest we got to a goal early on was when United’s no.2 nearly poked the ball past his own keeper despite a near deafening shout from the aforementioned custodian.

United who looked technically as proficient as you would expect broke dangerously on seven minutes but Weir did extremely well to get back and defend having taken a mighty whack on the foot a minute earlier.

However, Robbie went from the sublime to the ridiculous two minutes later when a lazy ball to Kay saw Michael seemingly unaware of the looming danger (god knows how with the guy running straight at him) and United were straight through. Marchena twisted and shot on the turn in one fluid movement and just when I thought it was in, big Trev brought off a very good save.

Maimer then took the Serb Tosic out (is that wise?) just before he hit a good free kick from 30 yards but Carson saved comfortably. Just after the quarter hour mark Sunderland went close with their first self made effort. Cook, Chandler and Waghorn combined well and set up Colback on the edge of the box but his left footed drive just went inches the wrong side of the post.

Waghorn then controlled well (although I’m not certain whether it was legally to be honest) and looked clean through but his shot at goal from eight yards lacked real venom.

Carson then made his second good save of the night blocking after Maimer failed to get distance a headed clearance from a United corner. Trev looked beaten just before the half hour mark but United’s number five contrived to put the ball over from not so much two yards as two centremetres. I’m sure he couldn’t have done it again if he tried. Big Trev then pulled off another good save from a fizzer and whilst the stop was somewhat unorthodox it kept it out. Five minutes before half time David Brown went on a fantastic run down the left and flashed a great ball across the face of goal. Waggy failed to connect but Jordan Cook came in late at the far post and hit his fourth goal in three games. Get in!

H/T 1v0

Four minutes after the restart David Brown and Nathan Luscombe combined well down the left and almost set up Captain Jack but United’s full back just cleared the danger.

Brown growing in confidence and looking the pick of the defenders despite his relative lack of experience, then had the confidence to drive one from 25 yards out and he wasn’t too far away. Any team should miss a player of the quality of Michael Liddle but young Brown is proving to be an excellent deputy although he did make one poor mistake on 63 minutes. He got caught out underneath a skyer a la Danny Collins against Bolton and just as it looked like we were in trouble, Maimer comes out of nowhere having sprinted albeit in his Bader gait half the length of the pitch to superbly block the attacker’s attempted cross.

Big Trev came to the rescue again a minute later managing to use his body to block when an equaliser looked inevitable and at the other end, Waggy then broke clear but hit the side netting.

Captain Jack found himself in the book when the ref gave a free kick for a foul on De Laet who got up off the ground only to find himself also bizarrely booked. It was either a foul on him or he dived in which case the free kick should have been ours and Colback shouldn’t have been booked. Only the ref must know what he was booked for. It seemed nothing more than odd for the pursuant 60 seconds but then ended up being ridiculously expensive for De Laet as he fouled Luscombe just as Nath was about to burst into the box and the subsequent and correct second yellow meant an early bath. Having said that anyone sat in those Arctic conditions would have been glad of a warm bath.

United had looked the better technical side all evening and pressed so well that for long periods it looked like they had had an extra man. Suddenly after the sending off it somehow looked like eleven-a-side. Weir tried one from 25 yards which went narrowly wide before Meyler tried the same and how can I put it kindly, his didn’t. It did nearly hit the post to be fair but I’ll let you work out which one. The Corkman did have the audacity after such a poor effort to have another speculative one and fair play to him that one was a hell of a lot closer.

The United keeper then came racing out of his box to clear in front of the on rushing Waggy but the ball failed to clear and Chandler’s clever ball to Luscombe gave Nath the chance to hit one first time from 45 yards out and it was only just wide. Great effort.

There was still time for Waggy to have an effort blocked form all of 10 nanometers but the Lads held on for an excellent three points.

Full Time: Sunderland Reserves 1v0 Manure Reserves

Sunderland: Carson, Weir, Brown, Colback, Kay, Hartley, Meyler, Chandler, Cook, Waghorn, Luscombe

Subs unused: Misiewicz, McArdle, Hubbuck, Wilson, Cornforth

Man of the Match: Trevor Carson for his vital saves which kept us in it on the first half, just edges young David Brown

Attendance: 862

Dov