SON OF SOBS: THEM

Them - D day. We've been 'gone for so long'...and we're back. It WAS an easy 6 points!

Yesterday I worked 6-2, then travelled to Barnard Castle to play a gig, got stuck in a lift in a WMC, played said gig and arrived home just before 1 am. Did I sleep? Did I nowt.

In the last couple of 'behind the scenes' training videos the lads have rocked up to the AOL looking a little bit like they are on the morning after the last night of a stag do. The mornings team news basically read 'significantly weakend team'. Nails were bitten.

The following is written live as I watched. Buckle up...

12pm kick off in the region's sh*thole.

Unlike the cheers and roars of encouragement at our place their ground rang with a gormless din of pent up entitlement, under the bongeyed gaze of a tifo in the form of a rabid parrot in a top hat. Ah yes, those famous Geordie top hats. Their mid week defeat was a great watch. Hoping we could add to their misery we kicked off with gusto.

Gerty got tested early on and set the tone for one of the many dules of the day. Brobbery vs Botface ended in play being pulled back as Big Bry had a handful of dirty shirt. Inside the first 5 mins there'd been 5 freekicks. The Ref took time to address the managers and kindly ask them to refrain from any sh*thousery. GX vs Burn both clattered early on.

On 9 minute O9 did an O9 thing. A criminal ball gifted on a plate to bignose. Signs of a long afternoon.

1-0 to them.

Straight back up the other end AFCON winner* Diarra was straight back at them. RLB was up and down the bench ready to tweak whenever needed. We set up in their final third and flung a few balls in the box as Luke looked to make amends. As the ball returned into our half we played very narrow, leaving far too many options in the wide area, aside from the goal - we'd look ok everywhere apart from going forward. Brobbey had battled well. but our young wide men had seen very little of the ball.

The mags won another free in their box as Hume fell for their trap during another throw in into their box. Reggy was active on the touch line, totally evolved from last season calm and collected pace. But could he pull off a knee slide? Our AFCON runner up* finally got our first shot of target with a belter bound for the top corner, only stopped by a finger tip.

Unease rippled through our play we stupidly played to close across the back followed by Gerty giving away a corner. Granit optimistic ball ahead of HD gifted the barcode back the ball, as they won their fourth corner of the game. Bignose decided to cheat and came from and offside position to fall over in our box, we cracked on and head back into their half only for Talbi to be muscled off the ball by a pack of black and whites. Moments later we were back in their box but the ball failed to fall right for us. Apart from how we play out from the back our intensity wasn't lacking.

Our Moroccan stepped up again in the box but his first touch let him down. We tried some clever tippy tappy stuff, but this ain't a tippy tappy game. A counter saw Omar make a flying clearance from the box Another shot penked off our post as Burn decided to pull Luke down and ask for a penalty. The first yellow card was awarded to Hume as he took one for the team. 2 minutes of added time were announced as they wacked a free kick straight at Melker.

1-0 at the break. Only the howler separating us.

We started the second half by heading straight for their final third. First Rigg to Brobbey, then Gerty and Rigg. Much better. Sadiki ran round in a circle and fell over. The opening 5 was all us. Brobbery 'accidentally' kicked Botman in his botface and force the Sweed and his big battered swede off with a concussion. This lead to another discussion between the Ref absolutely everybody in the dugout. He also spoke to the 'match manager' due to a possible incident in the crowd. Mysterious...

The young wingers picked up where we left of, linking up and forcing a save which lead to a corner...

GX whipped it into the box, the ball bobbled around - Hume's shot found Gerty's chest and Talbi couldn't miss. A roar from the gods as the MorroCAN found his forth of the season. Gerrup.

1-1!

60 mins Habib gave the ball away after an interception and showed exactly what he's about by winning it straight back. GX saw a deflected shot dip just over the bar. What ever verbal Weetabix RLB had uttered during half time - it was working.

On the 65th minute I had begun to question my logic in washing an all day breakfast down with a pint of Guinness. More back and forth with us on the front foot. The scum chucked some subs on to shake things up whilst RLB kept things the same while we were in control. That control dipped momentarily as the home side saw a goal rightly disallowed while a player was offside and holding onto our young keeper. Young Melks was sadly looking slightly out of his depth.

With 10 minutes to go and very few nails left to bite we looked to kill things off. Rigg accidentally tackled Granit after a good spell in their box. With 5 to go Enzo replaced Habib. He was called into immediately action as we defended well against another counter.

Blah blah blah...

90 mins: THE BEAST BROBBEY!!!

We passed it into the back on the net. Sublime. Whatever we changed in the last 45 minutes needs serious analysis. You couldn't write it. 7 tense minutes passed by, where I was too tense to type.

Full time: 1-2.

What a turnaround. When we came up they said we'd be an easy 6 points. Methinks thew doth fkd up (yes, that's the Guinness talking).

Fun Facts -

SAFC has now won more points from a losing position than anyone else in the league.

Guess who's lost the most points from winning positions?

11th in the league.

Luke O9 will sleep soundly tonight. Yes he made a mistake, but not a lot of players could save face and come back like he did. If that's not a Sunderland mentality I don't know what is.

Spare a thought for the Horses.

Haway The Lads,

KTF,

GPD