The Lads got up in the middle of the night (well, the fans did) and headed to South Wales to take on the Bluebirds. "Take on" is a bit of an exaggeration, as I've never known a Cardiff crowd or team so negative and resigned to their fate. They were dead and buried from about 3pm, as they showed no fight, no organisation, no....sound familiar? Thankfully, we did the opposite and thanks to Adil's penalty high into to net and Jobe's cracking finish, we were home and dry well before half time.
It had been a sad week, fan-wise, with the news of Tom Lynn's death, and our bidding farewell to Craig "Geordie" Bramhald in Bishop. Never mind the nickname, he was as red and white as you'll get. Our very early start, complete with boombox, got us to a sunny Newport in time to surprise the locals, who assumed the influx of noisy English folks meant a rugby match was in the offing.
We soon put them right, and as we left town the team was announced
Patterson
Hume Ballard O'Nien (c) Styles
Neil Ekwah
Ba Rigg Aouchiche
Bellingham
…at least that how I sort of laid them out and a bench of Bishuuurrrp, Pembele, Burstow, Mundle, Hjelde, Roberts, Dack, Alese and Hemir.
Great to see Aje back, but it still looked very much like "let's give summat else a try." To be honest, we've moaned often enough about the inefficiency of our forwards, so starting without any shouldn't really have been a surprise. The Newport sunshine gave way to some pretty heavy Welsh rain but it had given owwa by the time we got to the ground, so it's just as well we were wet on the inside anyway...and grateful for a seat away from the front row. Not so happy with going round four sides of the ground to get parked...and just out of the wet in row H.
We attacked the far end and it was soon apparent that summat was wrong in the kingdom of Wales, as Cardiff just weren't there. I've never known a crowd here as dispassionate, so lacking of anything vaguely resembling an atmosphere - even they seemed sick of their drum from its first passionateless, half-hearted beat after our first goal. Oops, spoiler alert...
We attacked the far end, and quickly imposed ourselves on the game - although those in the away end had seen enough of dominating and losing to know not to get awwa excited. Well, not until we'd been going ten minutes or so when Bellingham drove into the box from the right and was tripped - even we could see it clearly from the far end. Up stepped Adil who smashed it high into the net. Girrup!
Happy days indeed… and the half continued in a positive fashion, with Patto having little to do. Ba went down the left and won a corner, and when it was blocked Ekwah curled a shot over the keeper's right hand post. I know we were playing well, but I've supported us long enough to know that one (or even two) isn't always enough for us. Ba and Rigg had efforts saved before Adil plopped a low cross from the right in front of Jobe and it was 2-0. No more than we deserved, for a change. Marvellous.
We could have had a third, or even fourth, and that's not me being carried away. Cardiff were dreadful, we saw the half out and were more than worth our lead at the break. Styles was booked for a foul and Patto took the resultant free comfortably as the home fans nicked off... home, I presume.
Ekwah fired wide, Neil took a boot in the face defending a free in our box but got up smiling as if he knew this was a game even Sunderland couldn't lose. I wish I had his youthful confidence!
There were five added minutes, although the home side played as if they wanted them to be the last five of the game.
We made no changes, they put a header just over, and we put several chances either just wide or against the keeper's feet. With twenty or so to go, Rigg and Styles made way for Mundle and Hjelde as we sought to play the game out - look, I know Cardiff were awful, but we're Sunderland and we've historically specialised in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Not today, though but. We fairly pezzled then for the last quarter and had enough chances to make it at least four. Not that I'm complaining that we didn't, it just would have been nice to really put it to bed. Hemir did the last ten minutes for Adil, and went close a couple of times - as did Ba before Dack (and his gloves - haway man, it was as warm as toast!) took over from him. I think there were six added minutes, during which 90% of the home crowd that were left after half time nicked off.
Satisfying? Satisfactory? Absolutely. I fully acknowledge that the Bluebirds were dreadful, but you have to take advantage of that, which is something we've been pretty crap at doing. Not today, when we proper tortured them. A third or fourth would have been no more than we deserve, but 2-0 away suits me just fine.
Many of the Match? Hume's tackling is up there with anyone I've seen playing for the Lads, Adil was positive, Rigg was energetic, and the defence worked. We and we didn't fanny about either with goal kicks nearly as much. Everything we've moaned about Bellingham's performances in recent weeks (well, nearly everything) was put right today, so he gets my nod.
And it was a pleasure to converse with Peter McFall, Ulsterman now ensconced in the Wesh and thus and adoptive Mackem.
A grand day out at last, with fabulous support from our lot.
