SOBS V CHERRIES

Wow. Quote of the day, as I left the ground? "I'd love to have watched that as a neutral."

The Lads welcomed the Cherries to Wearside with the curse of the former player threatening, in the (much more muscular than when we had him) shape of Semenyo. What we got was a rip-roaring, gut-busting, no-holds-barred 110 minutes of action as we came from two down to win, cementing our position as the side that's gained the most points from a losing position.

Having eventually managed to clean the mud of Fulham Park off my boots, it was off again to Football City (that's Sunderland, by the way) to see the red and white wizards (copyright G. Duff) bounce back. With Alderete back from concussion we had options at the back, but why change a largely effective unit? An impact sub allowing Gerty to push forward? Perhaps.

Of more immediate (ie before kickoff) concern was the manky weather forecast, which suggested a continuation of the Fulham deluge, with a northerly "breeze" hoyed in for good measure. Lovely, and our journey through was eventful apart from the emergency stop that propelled Monty the dog the full length of the aisle and into the dashboard. He's OK, by the way.

The rumoured changes were duly rung:

Roefs

Mukiele Alderete Ballard Reinildo

Xhaka (c) Sadiki Le Fee

Traore Isidor Talbi

... and a bench of Patterson, Hume, Mayenda, Rigg, Neil, Geertruida, Brobbey, Mundle, and Adingra.

Obviously a change in shape as well - unless our players are even more versatile than advertised. As Busking Joe had relocated his drum kit to Regis le Bridge, why not? When the forecasted rain arrived it was just a bit mizzling on, but perhaps Talbi could do wingback and we'd stay at three central defenders. We'll see... anyway, the foghorn boomed, the twist was begun, and we were in as the mizzle became light rain. The foghorn boomed, the lighthouse flashed, the knights danced, and we were ready to go....and Wise Men Say.

With Bournemouth in all dark blue, and the rain hoying it down, we defended the Roker End and they kicked off, getting a shot away after barely half a minute that took a lucky rebound for a goal kick.

Xhaka set a move away that ended when Talbi's shot was blocked after he came in from the left - it looked a pretty obvious handball, but they didn't even bother with VAR - which was surprising. Talbi was there again when we broke up a Cherries attack, curling one just wide of the keeper's left hand post.

Given it was so wet, the game pinged about at a fair old pace, and on 6 minutes they came down their left to fire off the post and the rebound was popped away.

Bah.

After a weird free to them (the second in a long line of iffy decisions), we messed up a corner on our right, they broke and caught Roefs way off his line with a hoof from 40 yards.

Double bah.

We had a corner on the left then one on the right, and somehow they got a free when Reinildo was clearly thrown to the floor. Roefs then made a comfy save up high before Alderete was booked for a dunsh in our half in 20, and a couple of minutes later Issy had a blast from the edge of the box beaten away by the keeper. A really nasty one on Xhaka as he attempted to carry it away from our box only brought a yellow for their Scott - and more of him later.

Another penalty shout was ignored - no VAR? Why is it there? No doubt about the penalty, (Scott again) although they did consult VAR before Enzo family blammed it high into the net. Back in it.

Traore looked to have been pulled/pushed around the side of their box, then an off the ball trip on Issy was ignored as we broke down the left. Reinildo turned up in their box to flash a header wide on 38, then a Bournemouth shot on the turn was blocked.

After an injury to Traore, Scott clattered in again but avoided probably his third yellow and seven added minutes were announced before Enzo fired into the side netting.

No changes for us for the second half, but the visitors sensibly took Scott off. An early free was launched into their box, Xhaka won back the clearance and played it to the right, from where the low cross was fired just inside their keeper's left post by Traore barely a minute in. And that after our halftime thought were about his lack of end product.

Ours to win? Why aye!

Semenyo, a constant pest down our right, out in a cross and win a corner which was followed by another on the other side. We got it away, but a few minutes later a loose one by Enzo saw them shoot - way over. On 58, Traore was away but hung on to the ball in the box and the keeper was down onto it. On 62, off went Issy, Traore, and Talbi, replaced by Brobbey, Mundle, and Hume.

The three were straight into it, with a shot over the top and Hume was booked for a trip before he'd kicked the ball. Mundle chased a long free to win a corner, and after the customary scrum and restart, there was Brobbey at the near post to head us into the lead on 67.

Yeehah!

Rather than sit back, we piled into them for a while and a handball on halfway by Semenyo was less of an offence than the penalty we didn't get, and earned their gaffer a yellow. Everyone was up for the free but it was cleared. A low Roefs save cable after a bit of Bournemouth pressure, they wasted two free-kicks from similar positions after faffing on for ages setting up. Enzo was replaced by Gerty for the last ten or so, Roefs was booked for time wasting, as was their keeper (eejit) and 8 added minutes were somehow found. Handbags, injuries, fouls, more handbags and a sending off, and the whistle eventually blew at 1706.

Phew.

Man of the Match? So many to choose from, but definitely not the ref. Watch MOTD to form your own opinion.

Probably Xhaka again, if only for that added time carry across the field to kill time.

Gerrrin!