SOBS V CHELSEA
The Lads welcomed the Pensioners to Wearside on a sunny autumn afternoon and came up with a win that was both deserved and desperately necessary. Despite the best efforts of referee Jarred Gillett who had an appalling afternoon, he could hardly deny the crucial penalty.
Having needed an alarm to get up for a home game -a pox on early Sunday kick offs - we were in Chaplin's in time for an immaculately observed silence at 11. If grandad hadn't ducked on the Somme, if my father-in-law hadn't done something similar in Italy....
It's only a game.
Would Regis, having had the dreaded vote of confidence from the board? A chance meeting with Skinner in the Isis brought no answer but did raise a few eyebrows as we indulged in a spot of spontaneous man-hugs. Hey, we did the Red Lion away bus half a century ago....
..and in came the team news
Roefs
Meunier O'Nien Mukiele Reinildo
Xhaka (c) Sadiki
Hume Le Fee Talbi
Brobbey
... and a bench of Ellborg, Isidor, Rigg, Methalie, Fofana, Danso, Ahoka, Angulo, and Tutierov.
One winger for us today, and what looked like over 3,000 cockneys up aheight, there was a great rendition of the Last Post and a well-observed silence.
It's only a game. Again, I know, but it is.
We faced north, and after a lengthy team huddle, we set things away as we belted out Wise Men Say into kickoff time.
We'd hardly got going when Xhaka went down and Ahoka came on. Insert your conspiracy theories here, but Luke became captain. Meunier worked well down the right but the eventual cross was blocked in the box, then Sadiki came down the inside left channel and so nearly got BB in. It was lively stuff, and when Talbi got away down the left his low cross found its man - but Hume's shot was blocked. Our favourite Moroccan then swung it out to the right and the ball in was chased by BB who knocked it just wide.
Looking canny, Lads.
22 minutes in a pretty obviously great tackle in our box saw the ball cleared but an absolutely unnecessary VAR intervention - no foul, which even the Chelsea hordes could see was the correct decision. Waste of time, but it preceded a spot of Chelsea pressure that ended with a bad headed miss. Some very fortunate deflections in their box allowed them to clear a couple of our breaks - had it been last season, they'd have flown into the opposition's net. Not this year, as the officials have obviously decided that we shouldn't be upsetting the established order.
On 27 BB was away from halfway and was forced to the left to shoot over, having not seen Hume's late arrival in the box. Not to worry, only a few minutes later he was pulled all over the place as he thundered into the box before being very clearly fouled. Four minutes elapsed as Chelsea argued the toss (ha'way man ref, get some cards flashed) then Enzo fired it low to the keeper's right as he went left.
Boom! Girrup!
With Big Bri looking a bit tired, we plugged away but allowed Chelsea a shot - which Roefs took comfortably to his left. Meunier was doing a cracking job of keeping Rogers quiet. There were two added minutes announced, which we took as a signal to keep what we had. The ref managed to ignore a pretty obvious foul on Brobbey then gave one against him for nothing, just to maintain his level of inadequacy.
We kept things as they were, and deserved to be ahead simply based on chances created. xG or summat.
No changes for us, but Colwill's yellow meant he was replaced by that awkward kid Estevaoaoao. Hume took a knock early on but recovered enough to continue despite being "accidentally" knocked on the head as he lay on the ground - which wound up Reinildo, a full fifty yards away, enough to try and start a fight. We needed to be careful with that ref, as he'd spent the first half looking for any excuse to give Chelsea something - anything. Another foul on Brobbey was ignored but thankfully we got the decision at the other end at left back.
There was a corner ten minutes in which Chelsea cleared then we broke in the right and the shot from a low cross was saved - offside anyway, which was a puzzle as the ball had been cut back. A foul on Ahoka on the hour was ignored and we needed a big hoof out of our box to save Roefs from getting involved.
On came Danny Wellbeck to scare us a bit, but we did the sensible thing and didn't let them get the ball to him. BBs shirt was clearly pulled as we tried to break down the middle, but the free went to them.
Off went BB for Issy with 25 to go, then Roefs took a slightly awkward one under the bar. After about Chelsea yellow for a foul on Issy, we so nearly got the second but it was deflected for corner on our right. Our fans were right behind the Lads, roaring every challenge and sprint. Talbi raced onto Issy's ball down the left but his shot didn't dip quite enough. Nearly, Lads. In came Rigg for Enzo, there was a ridiculous yellow for a great tackle by Luke that clearly won the ball - even Regis was booked for contesting that one.
Five added minutes, tremendous defensive work, whistle, win.
Man of the Match? Ahoka, who covered more ground than the world's biggest tarpaulin, with Talbi not far behind.
