LFL: DIRTY MAGS

This was a fantastic win and one that has surely guaranteed us safety. After a rather lacklustre first period we really came back well in the second and great opportunistic goals from Talbi and Brobbey did the damage.

BEFORE

Like many of us, I'm wondering if Newcastle's 7-2 drubbing the other day will dishearten them or give them the impetus to come out fighting even more. Recent form goes out the window in derbies anyway. In the home match I think the atmosphere at the SoL really got to their players and they were cowered so of course I hope the same doesn't happen to us today. Regis wasn't giving too much away when he spoke about our injury situation but I suspect that Le Fee, Ballard and Mukiele will all play some part this afternoon. I'm sure it won't be goalless. I'll be watching the match in the Rosedene in Sunderland with a few of friends. My match prediction is 1-1.

I got the team-news at 10.45 and my heart sank as Ballard wasn’t in the squad and neither was Roefs. O’Nien was starting and I wondered what kind of day he’d have – would he be a derby day hero or would he do something daft and get a red card? Le Fee, Reinildo and Mukiele were all on the bench and that was good news. Anyway, I was in the pub at 11.00 and all the tables had been reserved so it was standing room only. My friends’ predictions were 2-1, 2-2 and 1-1. I got a decent perch for my laptop at the side of the back bar and awaited developments. As kick-off approached there were a few hundred in the place but it wasn’t chocker. We were playing in our blue away strip.

THE MATCH

Just after the game started a barmaid suggested we take a free table as the people who’d reserved it hadn’t turned up. Newcastle had the first chance of the game after three minutes when Elanga headed narrowly over from a cross from our right. We conceded the first corner in the eighth and after the usual argy-bargy in the box Botman headed wide.

We were soon 1-0 down, though, when a poor clearance from O’Nien was intercepted and passed to Gordon on the edge of our box. He dribbled a bit before slotting the ball into our bottom-right corner. It was exactly the start we didn’t want but we often do our best when our backs are against the wall. In the seventeenth O’Nien conceded a corner by heading narrowly wide but we got it clear. Meanwhile we hadn’t been creating much at the other end but after twenty minutes we started pressing more and in the twenty-third a great Talbi shot was turned out by Ramsdale for our first corner. This only resulted in Rigg blasting a shot well over but at least we were having a go at last.

Geertruida conceded an unnecessary corner in the twenty-eighth when he was attempting to head back to Ellborg but the corner came to nothing. Newcastle won another corner and despite shouts for a penalty, we got it clear. We were being allowed very little room to manoeuvre all over the pitch while Newcastle were managing to carve through us fairly easily. Elanga hit the side-netting in the thirty-third after another such move. In the thirty-seventh Geertruida conceded a free-kick near our right corner-flag but it was skied straight out for a goal-kick. Next thing Xhaka conceded a corner and that also went out for a goal-kick. Another Botman header came off our left post and I was looking forward to the half-time whistle. Hume was yellow-carded and Ellborg got on the end of a free-kick from just outside the box so after a couple of minutes of added-time we arrived at the break. Another goal would probably have sunk us but I still had hopes that we’d pull a goal back after we’d brought on Le Fee and Mukiele.

There were no changes as we kicked off again and we started brightly, winning a couple of throws on the right and putting some pressure on. Botman was down injured for a few minutes and eventually had to leave the game, being replaced by Thiaw in the fifty-fourth. I don’t wish injuries on players but I was glad to see him off as he’d been dangerous on set pieces. There was bound to be a good chunk of added-time. Next thing Rigg had a good shot on target that Ramsdale pushed out for a corner. When it came over from the right the ball bounced around a bit before Talbi steered it home to put us level and the pub went doolally with most people on their feet hugging and shouting. The goal definitely gave us some zip and we were looking more confident. In the sixty-second a Xhaka shot was deflected over for a corner but nothing came of it this time. Next thing they made a triple switch, taking off Woltemade, Trippier and Elanga and replacing them with Willock, Murphy and Livramento. I was also glad to see the back of Elanga as he’d looked a real threat.

As we entered the final quarter the momentum was with us and Sadiki hit a powerful shot that Ramsdale managed to block. In the pub a good deal of booze had gone down the collective gob by this stage and many patrons were becoming more vocal and began treating us to the occasional chant. We twenty minutes to go we still hadn’t made any changes and I wondered when we would. I wanted to see Mayenda have a go. We conceded a corner in the seventy-fourth, the first for a while, and Thiaw headed it home. My mate Barbara said, “We’re not fucked yet” and indeed we weren’t as it was ruled out, for obstruction I believe, to much delight all around me.

Time was ticking away pleasingly quickly and Gordon skied an effort that he should have done better with. Alderete took a yellow for the team in the eighty-second as Newcastle broke across the half-way line. We finally made a change when Le Fee replaced Diarra with five minutes to go. We won another corner and there was much hooting in the bar as the camera focused on the faces of miserable-looking Newcastle fans. The corner only resulted in a free-kick to them but the positive mood in the bar was maintained. In the dying seconds of normal time we got our second and Brobbey scored it after a low pass from the right ricocheted around and fell to his feet a yard or so out. He received a yellow card for whipping his shirt off but I doubt if he was remotely bothered.

The bar went completely loopy for a minute or two and no VAR was involved – I’ve always got half an eye out for it these days. Seven minutes of added-time were announced and that wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. We soon replaced Brobbey and Talbi with Mayenda and Reinildo. The latter was booked in the ninety-eighth minute as many around me were shouting, “BLOW THE WHISTLE!”

Finally referee Anthony Taylor did just that and the pub exploded into cries of joy and a chant of, “WE ARE SUNDERLAND!”