Lessons have been learned. At least I damn well hope they have. Firstly, “that” formation doesn’t work unless you have the right personnel. Secondly, we should send a club representative down Fawcett Street as soon as possible to kidnap the first tone-deaf busker who knows more than one verse of The Lambton Worm, and make them sing it on the pitch in front of tens of thousands of undeserving people.

On a brighter note, if there can be one, our lass has officially banned me from going there again to watch us play. She - rightly- reckons that it upsets me enough having to hand over money to that corrupt institution in the first place, but to give them money for the dubious pleasure of watching the Lads get tonked is a bridge too far. Speaking of Bridges, Judith called me on Tuesday to say that we’d been offered two tickets to go and see Michael Bridges that evening. Now, I liked the Lad during his first spell on Wearside, but I didn’t fancy travelling to Australia for a night game, what with work the next day. Turned out it was Kevin and not Michael, and he helped me on my rocky road to cheering up a bit by making me laugh a lot at the Gala in Durham. I followed that with another trip there on Friday to see Hit Me, a play about Ian Dury. It didn’t make me laugh as much – it wasn’t intended to - but it made me feel a whole lot better.

So today Stoke, AKA SAFC old boys. Surely a record number of ex-players with a visiting team, and the curse of the former player hanging heavy in the air. Our Lads owe us for last weekend, and they owe us big time. I think they realise that – I hope they realise that.

We had an eventful trip up, spending half an hour on the hard shoulder after the bus died, but made town in time to see someone’s stag do, all with Sunderland scarves embroidered for the occasion. The mood went downhill a bit when we heard than Benty had twanged a hamstring, and decided that the world was conspiring to give us 4-5-1 again.

Ming

Onouah Mensah Turner McBardsley

Elmo Catts Hendo Steed

Wellbeck Gyan

Well, Wellbeck started out on the left, so it looked like the one up front option, but he drifted inside and even over to the right as we found our feet. Stoke won a couple of corners, our midfield worked hard but didn’t find their shape, and Ming did well to take as they broke, With our first move of any sort, lots of nice inter-passing, we moved it from the centre to the right Elmo got in a cross from which a shot was saved, and Gyan was there for the simplest of tap-ins. Only nine minutes in, and that took a lot of pressure off. Stoke played against type, with Tuncay the focal point of some decent football and Jones putting himself about a bit. There was no Delap, but he was on the bench with Fuller, so we knew they had that option up their sleeve. Elmo got in from the right again, and Catts had a shot blocked following the cross, then Stoke broke and it was down to Hendo to clear up at the back. Gyan was proving a real handful, and looked to have been pulled down twice with no punishment for the visitors. Mensah got hurt on the quarter hour, seeming to damage his shoulder or ribs, and carried that injury for the rest of his time on the pitch.

Hendo gave the ball away in the centre but thankfully had the energy to get back and atone for his mistake. On 27, Gyan was in the box again, but taken down for an obvious penalty. Benty, in the box behind me with Meyler, resisted requests to get his boots on, and it was surprise choice Steed who allowed their keeper to make fairly comfortable save. Bugger, a second would have really taken the pressure off. A few misplaced passes and an unlucky bounce gave the initiative to Stoke for a while, and our left side vanished leaving Bards exposed a few times until Steed played a great ball - with his left peg – from deep to allow us to break, and then backed it up by arriving on the edge of the box to smash a volley – with his left peg – off a defender and just wide. The ball pinged around their box as we maintained the pressure, and Huth put in a nasty foul on Wellbeck – setting the pattern for the second half – and we rebuilt our left side and pressed from there in the last few minutes of the half.

One nil was right, as we’d had the better chances, but 2-0 would have been so much better (he said, stating the bleeding obvious) and we were treated to the new-look scoreboard. Different, but hardly “fancy graphics” as described by the announcer. I’m a technophobe, but even my mobile does cleverer things than that.

No changes for the second half, after a good round of applause for the servicemen on parade, and Gyan was away from the off, winning a corner as we started with more snap than is normal for us after half time. Bardsley took a knock, then Mensah went down again, and they brought on Fuller to partner Jones after 57. Here it comes, we thought, Delap can’t be far away. We replaced Steed with Rico on the hour, and he held the left wing position for the remainder. Stoke forced corners, as they do, and we had to soak up a bit of pressure as they kept the ball. Bardsley broke down the left and got in a cross which found Wellbeck at the front post, but the header, in loads of space, flashed wide. Stoke went back down our end and Ming had to be careful as he palmed the ball away from Tuncay’s feet, then Mensah finally admitted that he was broken and was replaced by Ferdy on 66. Stoke began to make a nonsense of those who claim that they’re not a dirty side, and Gyan claimed a free-kick forty yards out and shot not that far over.

A couple of minutes later came the big talking point of the game, and another Stoke corner came in, they ran away celebrating, but the ref gave another corner. People have said that it was both over the line and cleared by the hand of either Barsdsley or Henderson, but it was too far away for me to see. The main thing was that it didn’t count, so we’ll take that and let MOTD discuss it to death later tonight. Zenden replaced Elmo on 74, and Delap came on for Whitehead, but the lad clearly wasn’t 100% match fit and relied on his throws to contribute. Thankfully, we defended them well, and took control of the game. Shawcross, described by one Stoke fan as not being a vindictive player, put in a nasty challenge on Wellbeck, and we passed it around nicely for a while, the move ending with Zenden firing a yard wide from distance. Another nasty one from Shawcross brought an inevitable red card, and there were more bad challenges from Huth, and particularly Fuller, who was very late on Bardsley and could well have seen red as well.

As we entered the last ten, Stoke seemed intent on having all of their players booked as they flung themselves into a series of nasty tackles. On 85, Rico burst down the left and put in a hard, low cross which took a deflection to the edge of the box, and there was Gyan the man to drill it in. Get in. Asamoah got in a couple more extravagant efforts as the four added minutes were played out, and Hendo shot wide as well. 2-0, and I’m a very happy bunny tonight. It was a win that we very much needed, and one which showed that we can bounce back from adversity, and bearing in mind our two upcoming trips to London. Another confident, if not always orthodox, game from Ming, another gutsy performance from Bardo, and a complete change by Cattermole from last week’s awful display. Elmo faded after a bright start, but thankfully we had the wise old head of Zenden to take his place. Wellbeck had by far his best game for us, taking on opponents in the right places and being aware of his partner when up front. Turner was unspectacular but generally effective – they didn’t score, did they? – and Onouah overcame a few dodgy moments to come out on top of his opponent.

Man of the Match, though, has to be Gyan. I doubt if it’s possible to coach a player like that, as he just does the first thing that comes into his head. A complete maverick, described by Tommy who sits in front of me as the black Shack. A definite star, and one I’d love to see alongside Benty on a regular basis.

Keep the faith

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