So here we go post-Chelsea. In the midst of the early-season list of fixtures that included most of the teams we would expect to get points from, there was Tuesday, and one of the best performances by a visiting team that I have witnessed in more years than I care to admit.

Then along came Blackburn. With Fat Sam, you know what you’re going to get (note this, you daft Tyneside buggers) because he does percentages better than Wimbledon used to, he has every player monitored down to the last fart, and they do exactly what it says on the tin. Not a lot of football in the purists sense, but if it wins points and prizes, who cares?

We lined up pretty much as expected, with an extra tenner in my pocket from Dave’s choice of team on the bus’s footy card....

Fulop
Bardsley Collins Ferdy McCartney
Steed Cana (that’s Sana, by the way) Cattermole Rico
Jones Bent

We nearly got through with only a couple of minutes on the clock, but were defended well, and the game fairly quickly fell into the pattern of the day – Blackburn get the ball, Blackburn see how far they can hoof it. Jones did break through on 13 down the left only to see his effort cleared off Bent’s toes, then Blackburn had the temerity to break into our box and force a great save from Fulop. A series of Blackburn corners ended they shot wide from then edge of the box, then they put a shot away to make it 0-1. Deserved? Not sure, but they had been pressing for a while, so we’ll give them that one. That’s what you get for not being able to string more than three passes together, I suppose, and we hadn’t done/been allowed to do that. While we tried to play football, we didn’t manage to, despite the best efforts of cat and Cana in the centre of midfield. When we did get hold of the ball and play a bit, Jones was through and calm as you like, Bent styleee, slotted the ball home for the equaliser just past the half hour. We managed to waste a decent chance for a free kick, and Richo tried an outrageous overhead jobby that ended up easy for their keeper. Cat was booked for what turned out to be a run of the mill challenge (perpetrated by Blackburn on at least ten occasions) right on the break, but most of the crowd were happy to see us going in on level terms.

They brought on Olsen for Nelson, but we were first to produce something, as Bent volleyed a cross just too high for Jones. We then produced some good football down the left to see a super cross, then Jones arrived at the back post to make it 2-1. Nic goal, nice build up, nice way to show the anti-football that is Blackburn how to play the beautiful game. We followed that by almost getting Bent through, then George (not having the best of days0 made way for Noz, who proceeded to give a master class in how to keep big buggers out of Sunderland’s box. No frills, no pretensions, get your foot through it and let their defence worry about it. With Collins at left back, he gave their forwards no time or space to play. Blackburn replaced Diouff, always a popular player, with McCarthy, and I was a bit worried for a while. Needn’t have been, really, as he brought no more football to Blackburn, and we had a fe chances to make the scoreline more respectable. Campbell, on for Bent with a couple to go, got amongst their feet a bit, and it would have been no surprise if we’d got a third. Henderson put in another good shift as a sub, and we probably deserved the win more than the score line suggests.

As a game of football, it was as far from Chelsea on Tuesday as you could get, but Blackburn do what Sam’s teams do, and we did well to counter that. A team that needed beating, and we beat them. Like Jodie Marsh, the game wasn’t that pretty, but had enough about it to get you exited. That’s what we had to do, and we did it reasonably well. I’m more than happy with that, so let’s take it to Stoke next week and bring back another three points.

Keep the Faith

Man of the Match? OK, Cattermole. He’ll do for me

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