This was no classic but three points are three points and we battled for our win.
BEFORE
It seems ages since our last match so I'm looking forward to this afternoon's game and hopefully another three points. Cardiff are hovering just above the relegation zone and have only won one of their last six games but this is the kind of match that we often struggle to win. I just read that they beat us in the last three meetings at the SoL but that means nothing really and with Watson back in the squad I think we'll prevail but it might well be an ugly win. Sheffield United and Burnley are both at home today and look likely to win so we'll have to win too to maintain the mathematical possibility of getting that second automatic place. I'll be at the game and my match prediction is 2-1 to us.
I got into my seat in the Upper East Stand around 2.30 and my friends' match predictions were 4-1 and 2-0 to us. As regards to the team-news, the starting line-up was the same as against Wednesday while Watson and Anderson were on the bench, replacing Abdul Samed and Ogunsuyi. The weather was warm and sunny and the atmosphere was lively as kick-off approached. Along with everyone around me I held up my ‘fan display material’ for a few minutes as part of the celebration of our five thousandth league match. There was very loud applause for O’Nien as he received a commemoration of his three hundredth game for us.
THE MATCH
We threatened from the off and a great run into the left of their box by Mundle promised much but his pass went straight to a defender. Next minute, though, we were ahead and it was Mayenda again, shooting into the bottom left corner and giving Horvath in goal no chance after receiving a pass from Roberts. This was the perfect start and I wondered if my friend’s 4-1 was going to happen. Cardiff soon won the first corner of the game but we were doing most of the attacking with Mundle causing them a lot of problems down our left. I had to shield my eyes from the setting sun for the rest of the half. A low Hume shot went wide of the left post in the fifteenth minute and then a Mundle shot won us a corner that led to another corner. A second goal didn’t seem too far away but then just as we entered the second quarter of the game Roberts went down injured and he was subsequently replaced by Rigg.
We seemed to lose our impetus after that and we managed to escape a bad clearance by Jobe who booted the ball vertically in our box instead of up the field to safety. In the twenty-ninth a Cardiff shot went just wide of our left post and gradually the atmosphere became flat. Our mood was revived by a great run down the left by Mundle that resulted in a powerful shot that Horvath did well to block. In the next minute, though, Cardiff were level and it was bad defending in our area that helped create it. The ball came over at around head-height from the left and it should have been cleared but it fell to Davies lurking near the right post and he hit a low shot home from close range. In the forty-fifth Mundle looked certain to score as he received the ball in their box with only Horvath to beat but he hit his effort wide of the left post. There were three minutes of added-time and then the whistle went to polite applause but no booing.
During the break Marco and Riccardo Gabbiadini were given a good ovation when they came on to do the draw and Marcus Stewart was also well received when he appeared in connection with a series of charity marathons. In other games Burnley were ahead and Sheffield United were drawing.
After we kicked off again Cardiff did the early pressing but then we fought back and in the fifty-second we produced a good move that only resulted in a weak Rigg shot that went straight to Horvath. Cardiff went rapidly back up our end and Patto pushed away a shot that looked like it came off the post before being cleared. Hjelde received a yellow card in the fifty-fifth for a lunging tackle and he was promptly replaced by Cirkin. Isidor came on for Browne at the same time and was warmly welcomed. It’s always great to see Isidor play as he can create something out of nothing and a lot of our attacks so far had been too slow. Just after the hour-mark Isidor turned swiftly and let fly a shot that wasn’t for over the bar but referee Darren Bond had blown for an infringement.
The game was going from end to end and both sides looked like they could nick a goal. In the sixty-ninth Jobe was fouled just outside the middle of their penalty-area and from our free-kick the ball bounced off their wall and was heading for a corner to us when Mr Bond blew his whistle. There was considerable confusion around us as to why he’d done this but it all finally resulted in a free-kick to Cardiff.
In the seventy-second Cardiff made a couple of changes and we also brought on Watson for Mundle, to much applause. Five minutes later we went 2-1 up to much joy and relief all round. We’d won a free-kick just outside their box and instead of a shot blasting off the defensive wall we created what was presumably a training-ground move and passed the ball along the ground resulting in an Isidor pass across goal that was turned in from close range by Mepham. The clock was moving nice and quickly and we were still pressing forward and not sitting back with Mayenda showing some great bursts of speed and clever movement. We had a great chance for number three in the final minute when after a swift counter-attack Watson received the ball but blasted his shot high and wide. There were only three minutes of added-time and a chorus of, “Sunlun we love you” boomed out before the final whistle went to much celebration.
