If I told you that I’d recently been to a Sunderland home match where we dominated, but due predominantly to shocking refereeing and being generally kicked off the pitch for long spells we ended up losing 2-1, you’d be forgiven for thinking I’d just copied Sob’s match report for Villa. However, as is the Groundhog Day existence that is supporting Sunderland that description applies in equal measure to our latest ressies match, only we all know who the villains were last night. They came bedecked in black and white and smelled funny and that was just the officials, there were the mags too.

Despite being on the wrong end of a few challenges early on it goes without saying that one of our lads went in the book first, namely Luscombe for a strong but fair looking challenge, as is his predilection.

As the game developed, Jordan Henderson dominated the first half with his best 45 minutes since possibly last season with a series of good crosses, breaks at pace and a ‘Bergkampesque’ double drag back that was worth the entry fee alone, especially if you got in for free with a season ticket.

One such run in particular set up Colback indirectly and when Forster spilled the effort Dowson was just inches away from pouncing.

After twenty minutes and utterly against the run of play, Kay did well to slide in and put the ball out for a corner but from the delivery, as the ball hung in the air with a strong breeze behind it, it dropped to Nile Ranger who headed it home unchallenged, although Chandler almost did enough to keep it out on the line.

It was a bitter pill having already been on the end of numerous poor refereeing decisions and having dominated play that they should score with their first effort.

Immediately afterwards, Henderson and Kay combined well down the right but the dangerous cross was cleared and then Forster made an entry for campest save of the season with his gay Hollywood routine pushing Chandler’s effort away.

Captain Jack then robbed their Henderson and flashed it across the goal for our Henderson but it was just too far ahead of Jordan.

In a rare breakaway, a long clearance fell towards Ranger but Colgan rushed out to clear and cleverly side stepped his opponent before calmly passing the ball across the back line to his team-mate. In fact it was so accomplished that I think we have a ready made replacement for the injured Noz.

In their third attack of the half, at least the type which is an attack on our goal rather than our players of which I’d completely lost count, McArdle was left for dead by Ranger who should have doubled their lead but his weak header straight at Colgan was a poor effort.

The barcodes paid the price immediately with Sunderland attacking through Chandler who made a great surge through the middle and for once Forster was equal to a shot making a good block but Dowson followed up, taking a moment to pick his spot and then shot through a group of defenders from the edge of the box to level the score.

There was still time for Nile Ranger to lash out at Meyler right in front of the referee who decided he would give both of them a talking to. What? So it’s ok to lash out at our player but then in the second half send off our cleanest, fairest player for a perfectly legitimate attempt at a tackle. Welcome to life as a Sunderland supporter.

The first half ended level a full 51 minutes after it had started.

H/T 1-1

Half time was a very cold wait for us brave enough to stand out in the conditions. However, the overweight stewards despite their extra insulation, who had been drafted in for the game, presumably with the risk of trouble between rival fans (as if a Geordie could find Hetton’s ground on a map), huddled together in the back of the dug-out like a bunch of girls in a playground. In fact I think that’s unfair on girls. Suffice to say if that’s their level, I wouldn’t have fancied their chances much if it had all kicked off.

Seven minutes into the second period, Pistols Pete Hartley shot through a crowd of players from a corner and the ball ended up in the back of the net. However, the goal was called offside and without the benefit of replay it looked like perhaps someone, maybe Cook, had given it a final touch close to the line. Obviously if we were Chelsea and this was Stamford Bridge that would have been perfectly legitimate, indeed twice over, but we’re not and Hetton certainly isn’t, so it didn’t. Hetton’s much better then Stamford Bridge by the way, just to clarify.

Godsmark then broke at pace turning one way then the other as he ran towards goal and placed it well past Colgan it has to be said that not one of the Sunderland lads had the nous to think, ‘er maybe I should actually tackle him instead of just copying which way he turns each time’. It looked like something out of one of those daft dancing of ice shows. Shite. I think there was only Neil Bailey in the ground more pissed off than me with the defending. He wasn’t nest pleased and rightly let them know.

The rest of the match revolved around Newcastle kicking us, and us being booked for the privilege. Forster made one good save for every three he flapped at in a camp manner but he and his defence did well to clear when Jordan Cook’s toe poke looked likely to trickle over the line.

Captain Jack was then sent off for what looked like a perfectly legitimate attempt on Godsmark as he threatened to break again and then unfortunately Kadar went down heavily at their end and needed to be stretchered off. All of which meant that the second half ended with us losing 2v1 (I thought we were always supposed to win 2v1) a good 53 minutes and 47 seconds after it had started. So we’d played 105 minutes been booked more often than Pete Doherty despite the fact we’d caught the mags in possession more often than Pete Doherty again and had absolutely nothing to show for it. Thanks ref, utterly abject referring as usual. Where do they find them?

Full Time: Sunderland Reserves 1 – 2 Scum Reserves

Sunderland: Colgan, Kay, Luscombe, Meyler (Brown), McArdle, Hartley, Henderson Chandler, Dowson, Colback (cpt), Cook.

Subs unused: Carson, Weir, Noble, Hubbuck

Man of the Match: Henderson for his first half performance alone

Attendance: 1516

Dov