SOBS V AZ ALKMAAR (EL)
The Lads were back in European competition for the first time in.....you know how long, it's been all over the media for ages...and ran out deserved winners against a lively Alkmaar side. Enzo's penalty midway through the second half sealed the deal, but we should really have added at least one more. Having said that, we needed two blocks and a point blank save in a mad few seconds late on to maintain our advantage.
But a win's a win, and Alkmaar have won four and drawn one this season, so they're no mugs.
The pre-match stuff was, as promised, something spectacular with the ship rising from the sea near the lighthouse - new shores to conquer indeed. The atmosphere matched it - we knew what was to be sung and when, but even the extra rendition of Wise Men Say that we snuck in despite UEFA protocols raised the goosebumps yet again. If that didn't get you going, you're either a mag or dead.
Contrary to reports from Tyneside that there had been thousands of Dutch boosting their economy, there were 485 of them at the match. We heard their unfamiliar songs, read their unpronounceable team, grumbled that we could've squeezed another couple of hundred home fans in, and lined up...
Roefs
Mukiele Alderete Danso Reinildo
Xhaka (c) Sadiki
Hume Le Fee Fofana
Isidor
...faced north, and kicked off. There was an early long throw from Nordi before a poor pass from Enzo brought Roefs into action with a decisive heeled save. We cleared the corner but the visitors moved it about swiftly and won another. After ten minutes we won a corner on the left which Enzo put right under the bar for the keeper to produce his first punch of the evening. Unfortunately we fouled during the ensuing mêlée and they had the ball back. Enzo's shot soon after was parried, then another attack saw it played back to Danso, who walloped a curler just under the bar - but the keeper it tipped it over.
After that initial Alkmaar pressure we had got hold of the game and the crowd really got behind the Lads. After a pair of corners, one on each side, Alkmaar broke down the right and were only halted by a proper Huuume tackle in our box - that's why he gets picked, folks.
Unfortunately, Trai's next input was a lazy tackle that had yellow card written all over it. Never mind, we won the ball back and hit it into Issy's feet, and he spun just inside their half and sprinted goalwards before cutting it back to Enzo - whose effort hit the keeper's left hand post. Issy dropped a bit deeper and won the ball near the dugouts, and we got it over to the right. When it was played back to the edge, Hume hit it inches wide of the keeper's right hand post. There were more corners, and the visitors seemed particularly keen to wrestle and block Fofana - who's no taller than Sadiki. Strange.
There was still time for Xhaka to fire one from distance that Danso tried to deflect in with his head, then in the single added minute Enzo's effort curled just outside the post. Thankfully, he'd shrugged off that early mistake to both pull the strings and get on the end of things.
I was sort of satisfied to be level at the break against a decent European side, but we'd had 13 shots and 7 corners, so really we should have been ahead.
No changes for the second half for us, but two for them and they won an early corner, following that with a bit of pressure that ended when Smits spun to shoot very narrowly wide. That's the only AZ player I will attempt to name for fear my spellcheck explodes. Aldo took a knock five minutes in and was replaced by Ballard, before a cross from our right was headed over by Hume.
Enzo was taking a fair (unfair, really) amount of whacks, and another AZ player was replaced - possibly to save him a second yellow. When we repelled an attack, Noah galloped up the inside left channel before putting it left to Enzo. He danced into the box and was about to shoot when their lad put his foot where he shouldn't have.
The ref seemed to take an age to give it (not the first seemingly hesitant decision, but perhaps that's just his style) but penalty it was. Anyway, up stepped the little magician to put the ball in early the same spot as Saturday - but the keeper went the other way. 1-0 on 66 minutes and no more than we deserved.
Off went Fofana, Hume, and Isidor, and on came Brobbey, Angulo, and Meunier, which gave us a quick injection of urgency, winning us another corner which Nordi could only head wide at the back post.
His next action was a bit of a silly pull which got him booked, but when he was blocked on the edge of their box the free went to the Dutch. With ten to go it got a bit hairy with us flinging bodies in the way in our box before Roefs produced that point blank save. More AZ subs, then we set BB away down the right. He got into the box and tried to cut it back but it missed its original target to fall to Angulo - who took a touch and shot against the man on the line. Impossible to miss!
Rigg replaced Danso with six to go and did a fair job of marking their number 11 who'd been a pest all game. Well done, Riggy.
Three added minutes were announced, in which they knocked it over their own bar for our 12th and final corner. The whistle went and we celebrated as if we'd not won a European tie in half a century. Absolutely deserved, no question, and an entertaining affair as well as a great occasion.
Man of the Match? Xhaka was his usual self, Nordi was immense, but for being everywhere and having the guts to step up for the penalty, it has to be Enzo.
Mind, that flick with the outside of Meunier's right boot to bypass three AZ players and set us off down the right way a joy to behold.
New Shores to Conquer!
Oh, and Brentford in the league cup.
