SOBS V WOLVES

The Lads travelled to the Black Country with revenge on their minds - not revenge on Wolves, but football in general after the Nightmare on Friday 24th. What we got was two virtually identical goals - unfortunately one for each side - and a very contentious red card for Big Dan. At least the point makes it absolutely very surely certain that we can't get relegated. I think.

Previous to our defeat of Wolves last October, our previous meeting with them was when, like today, one of the sides was already relegated. Eight years ago, May 2018, we were already doomed to League One (sorry) and they were already destined to the Prem when they came to the SoL. We won 3-0 (Paddy McNair, Ashley Fletcher, and Ovie Ejaria. Aye, my thoughts exactly), John O'Shea made his final appearance for us and, when substituted, handed to armband to debutant Bali Mumba (currently at Huddersfield alongside Goochy), thus making him our youngest ever captain. Other debutants were Luke Molyneux (now at Doncaster) and Denver Hume (currently at Fleetwood). At the end of the game the fella in the box behind my seat leant over and said "I like it here. I might stay."

It was Charlie Methven.

Anyway, we discussed this in Lichfield as we picked the team, found a new pub with (as in all those visited) properly friendly and chatty staff - even those who support Wolves. Oh, and guess which fans have been banned from the town for unacceptable behaviour?

Let's just say that horses are kept off the streets of Lichfield.

The early departure from Lichfield turned out to be entirely justified, as the traffic was mad, but we got the team news:

Roefs 

Mukiele Ballard Alderete Reinildo 

Xhaka (c) Sadiki 

Hume le Fee Talbi

Brobbey 

... and a bench of Ellborg, Diarra, Isidor, Cirkin, O'Nien, Geertruida, Mayenda, Rigg, and Ta Bi. 

Hume midfield? I suspected that Mukiele would swap those duties with Trai. Which he did.

Led Zep and Jeff Beck provided the soundtrack to kickoff, and it was us in Rowell Blue who faced left and kicked off. There were early screams from our lot for offside, but the linesman/assistant ref just gave us the first of several knowing winks of the afternoon. To be honest, if I'd received the abuse he did I'd have been in the crowd throwing punches. I enjoyed his craic, even if others didn't.

Talbi was staying wide on the left and trying to sprint onto things, but the opening exchanges did have that end of season feel about them - what would have been 100% a month ago was 90%. We did, however, look the classier side, and when we got a chance on about 15 it should have gone in but was blocked. 90%, see?

Not to worry, when the ball came in from Xhaka on our right, there was Nordi with a textbook header to put us ahead on 17. That'll do nicely, we thought, but after being in complete and comfortable control for 25 minutes, a Wolves cross into our box evaded everyone, we cleared it, then the screen lit up. VAR, possible violent conduct.

Eh? Immediate images showed that a strand (possibly two) of Arokodare's hair were caught in Ballard's fingers. That's Ballard, who was looking at the ball and not the West Midlands' worst Bob Marley tribute act - the second red card given in his favour this season for the same "offence."

Right, if that's violent conduct, so is every pull on every arm or shirt. Sort it out, footy. just saying.

A tad harsh, I think - especially when Talbi, having switched to the left, put in a cross that looked to have encountered a Wolves hand in the box. Our favourite Moroccan did switch back and get a shot away, but it was scuffed and easily saved. Having lost a man we understandably went a bit sensible to keep the ball away from the opposition, but got a bit peeved when very late ones on Hume then Sadiki didn't even warrant a word from the ref.

Despite being numerically challenged, we looked the more composed side and dealt with the canines' possession quite well. The four added minutes were played out in relatively comfortable fashion (I say relatively with my fingers crossed, as we are Sunderland and I am genetically programmed to fear the worst) and ended the half ahead.

Which would do very nicely.

No changes for the second half (predictive text at its best) and an early shirt-pull on Brobbey was ignored - fine margins indeed, and another rendition of "eff VAR" from both sets of fans ensued. Just bin it, please.

The dogs had obviously been instructed to make more of their numerical superiority, and began to spray it about to make the Lads run around like dafties. Roefs went low to his left to make a save five minutes in, and we burst up the right on 54. Just when a precise cross might have done the business, Nordi sliced it over the bar. Oh dear.

The goal kick went straight down our end and they won a corner on their right, which produced a virtually identical outcome to our goal - header at the back, 1-1.

Damnation. They tried to calm us with another VAR check, this time for a "possible foul" which, just like the Ballard incident, nobody had appealed for. 

Five minutes later Wolves put a great headed chance wide (which is probably why they're going down) and Talbi came over to the right to win a corner from a deflected shot on 67. Wolves cleared it.

Four minutes later, on came the subs. Cirkin provided the now compulsory wrist bandage when replacing Reinildo, and Sadiki and Brobbey made way for Diarra and Isidor. Our Haitian was almost immediately through, but a telescopic leg somehow wrapped around him near the spot to join it clear. The changes did bring about an improvement in our forward play to the extent that a winner looked likely rather than possible - for a while. 

Roefs hit a long one that Issy just couldn't control as it dropped into their box with nine to go, and we in the stands (the red & white bit, anyway) just wanted it over to claim that vital point.

There were three added minutes (is that all?) in which the home side were guilty of an awful miss, putting an unchallenged header wide - that's why they're going down - and that was that.

A point will do, I suppose, but with eleven men we'd have won that. Not supposition, just fact - or near enough. I'll wait until I've seen the inevitably numerous TV replays berating Dan took much, but let's stay positive - we got a point and according to the experts, and Leeds going barmy when achieving 43 points last night, we're nailed on for another season in the UK's top division.

Man of the Match? I think I'll give it to Nordi for his all-round effort and the goal, although Xhaka (as ever) and Talbi deserve mention, as does Hume if only for swapping places with our goalscorer all afternoon.