With Tuesday's cup win at Wigan fresh in our minds, we welcomed Bolton to the SoL and came out narrowly on top in a real battle of a game. But for some profligate finishing by Bolton - and a couple of late chances we fluffed- it could have been more of a goal-feast, but we won a very awkward game in which we allowed the opposition a lot of the ball (56% if you're asking). Four efforts on target each out if nearly thirty in total show what a breathless afternoon it was, but if we're going to do owt in this division, we have to win games like this. Which we did.
Of course, all matters football were knocked back by this morning's sad news of the passing of Len Ashurst. As one half of the club's most consistent full-back pairings, Len partnered Cec Irwin for over a decade, racking up more outfield appearances than anyone else. 458 games means that only Monty's portrait is further up the stairs at the SoL and that Lenny the Lion truly is a Sunderland legend.
Was it Cec or was it Len, clattered that winger just then?
Rest in peace, Len.
We expected changes, a matter which was discussed at length in the Isis (Google algorithms do your worst) and we got them. To be honest, I'd have been surprised if not overly worried if there had been none, such was the quality displayed with such exuberance at Wigan. Burnley, Sheff Utd, Blackpool, Wigan.. I'm beginning to love awaydays in the League Cup. QPR next?
Hoffman (or Hoffmann?)
Winchester Flanagan Doyle Cirkin
O'Nien Embleton Neil
Pritchard Stewart McGeady(c)
..and a handy bench of Burge, Wright, Broadhead, Dajaku, Huggins, Evans, and Alves. No sign of Gooch because of injury, though.
After a truly momentous applause for Len that stirred the emotions, we kicked off heading south on a dull but warm afternoon. a prodigious leap by Stewart saw him rise between two defenders to head a left wing cross narrowly wide, only to be called off-side by a boss-eyed linesman. Impossible, liner, and followed by a decent penalty shout which upset the large Bolton contingent up aheight in the north end.
An injury to their keeper gave the chance for a drinks beak only five minutes in. Give awwa, man, even if it did look like a broken nose - but a change of shorts suggested he'd papped himself.
A spell of over-passing at the back invited the Trotters on, but they couldn't take advantage despite a corner, and Cirkin burst down the left with the low cross finding Winiesta for 1-0 on 17. What the Hell Winchester was doing in the box is beyond me, but it made me very happy anyway!
Embo and Pritch swapped places with the latter going wider on the left - or were they just responding to LJ's instruction to "do what you want"? The latter, I think, as Pritch was on the right a minute later.
A right wing break by Bolton on 25 saw the cross knocked beyond Hoff's far post as a warning that the visitors could threaten if they decided not to sit back, and a shot that bounced off Hoff's chest created a bit of havoc before Doyle thumped into a challenge to see the ball fly for a throw on our left. Too close for comfort, Lads.
We might have been ahead, but we'd allowed Bolton into the game an hour before we normally allow the opposition back in, and were looking a bit overrun with Geads having to do too much defending for my liking. A low Stewart shot was saved after a nice move down the left on 39 as we got hold of things for a spell, then Neil was tripped as he chopped his way towards the box. Yellow for Bolton's Doyle and a free twenty yards out, inside left. McGeady territory, but it hit a Bolton head to be crossed in from the right for Ross to see his near post effort pushed away for a corner.
Five added minutes were announced just after a poor clearance by their keeper allowed Geads to set Pritchard away, then Luke hurled himself into a challenge and got hurt, but was straight back on to be booked for his part in a tussle by the benches. Nutter.
The five minutes added stretched to about seven as we battled to keep the visitors out - which we did. There were a few half-time moans about us not being our usual selves, which is fair enough, but we were still winning. Shake things up with the eleven who started, or fetch Evans on to anchor the midfield? Let's see.
No changes for us or them, as it turned out. Two minutes in, a sweeping move saw Stewart feed Winch, and his low cross was inches behind Pritch, meaning the shot was scooped into the keeper rather than the net. Bugger.
The game moved from end to end, which I suppose is nice for the neutral but a bit nervy for the likes of me. A clash of heads and or elbows in front of the benches saw Cirkin and his opponent needing the magic sponge and adding a few minutes to the game as their man was replaced. A tremendous save by Hoff from a header on 62 kept things level with the corner being cleared but Cirkin going down hurt. On came Evans, Dajaku, and Huggins for Embo and Pritch, and Cirkin Phew, a breather for us and the players Huggins slotted in at left back and Evans brought his calming influence into the game - which was just as well.
After passing up a couple of chances to head on target, Bolton brought on Declan John with 19 to go. Sustained Bolton pressure should have brought them an equaliser, but they unbelievably contrived to miss the target as their fans celebrated. They'd controlled the game for a while, to be fair, but that near thing on 79 sparked us into life and Winchester won us a corner as we belted forward and got amongst them at long last.
A great tackle by Flan broke up an attack, but another near thing came when Huggins's hoofed clearance was picked up by Bolton and played into our box, but we got in the way.
Players were looking properly knackered, which was no surprise, and Stewart was having a right battle with their big defender. In the final minutes, Doyle was replaced by Wright (summat about concussion injuries allowing an extra substitution). Seven added minutes were announced - disappointing but not surprising.
A minute into tie, Stewart and his big oppo Almeuds tangled again with a free going the visitors' way, but a bit of afters earning their man a yellow - I think. Dajaku had a great chance to seal it, but after skinning a couple if defenders and dancing into the box he delayed his shot and the keeper sort of pounced on the ball. Haway man!
A patient build-up down left should have clinched things, but the eventual shot was blazed over - and some ejits decided to keep the ball in the north end. More added time was the last thing we wanted, but we were having a right go in the final seconds.
At last, well after five o'clock, the whistle went and we'd won a proper battle, proving that we're bloody hard to beat.
There was a fantastic rendition of Wise Men Say as the players left the field, presumably exhausted. I know I was.
Man of the Match? Like I said, I've no idea why Winch was in their box when he was, but it's a good job he decided to go "off piste". He defended resolutely as well, and we won - which is the main thing, isn't it?
