PROUD SPOILS

AFC Bournemouth away and the fans coming away from the ground proud — frustrated, aye — but proud.

We started sharp, right on the front foot, and after only a couple of minutes Le Fée was taken down in the box. Stonewall. Blatant. If ever I’ve seen one. Anywhere else on the pitch it’s given without hesitation. The referee? Bottled it. And not for the first time all afternoon. Inconsistent from first whistle to last, letting similar challenges go one way and not the other. And what’s the point of VAR if it won’t step in for something that obvious? If players are held accountable for mistakes, officials should be too. Simple as that.

But do you know what? It didn’t derail us. The lads kept playing. Composed. Brave in possession. Competitive in every duel. We looked organised, we looked hungry, and for long spells we looked the better side. I genuinely believe that with that early penalty decision given, we’re talking about a hard-earned away win.

And then there were the travelling Sunderland supporters. Absolutely unsurpassable. From the first minute to the last, that guttural, thunderous backing never dipped. Watching it, you could feel it through the screen — stalwarts in red and white carrying the side forward with sheer will. When legs tired, the noise lifted them. When decisions went against us, the roar only grew louder. That’s what we are. That’s who we are.

Performance? Good. Fans? Immense. Hats off, lads. You did us proud.

Till the end... just the start.