A two goal lead, plenty of possession, but all we got was a point. Perhaps it was just reward for sitting back in the second half, and bringing on Alves and Evans rather than an attacker - but it's not the end of the world. Only goal difference, thanks to Charlie Wyke, is keeping us in second place, so let's be grateful for small mercies. Stewart's header, from a free, and McGeady's penalty after O'9 was hauled down should have been enough to take three points home - but it wasn't.
Back on the Durham bus for the first time since Bristol Rovers back in 2019, there was a fair bit of catching up to do. Less hair, and what there was had an awful lot more silver in it - but we found the Brown Cow in Lanchester and made ourselves at home. An hour's dodging along the country lanes of Lancashire eventually got us to Fleetwood in time for a slurp at the Strawberry Banks, then it was off to the standing area. Our lot were in great voice, as the Lads lined up:
Hoffman
Winchester Doyle Wright Cirkin
O'Nien Neil Embleton
Gooch Stewart McGeady
In our natty blue and yellow away kit, we attacked the far end, and spent most of the opening period down there without really troubling their keeper. A few efforts went wide of the goal, as our fans roared the players on, instructing greater accuracy in no uncertain terms. Stewart was giving the Cod defence a hard time, and got in a header that unfortunately went straight the the keeper. When the home side did build an attack, they cut right through us and we had to thank Hoffman for a fine save. That seemed to briefly take a bit of life out of the home side, and we took full advantage. When we won a free on the right with 19 gone, I instinctively called "Stewart, 1-0" and Embleton duly plonked a cross on the big fella's head and the net duly bulged. Whoop de do!
That'll do nicely, we all thought. Hoffman, after his sort of tentative start last week, pulled off a cracker of a save, even if Fleetwood were called off-side after the impressive tip over the bar. Being as close to the grass as you're likely to get, their forwards were taking terrible (but entirely justified) abuse from our lot, and I do think it affected them, with a couple of awful Sunday morning shanks sending the ball either into our fans or onto the roof above us.
Geads nearly doubled our advantage with a cross-shot after he'd put his man on his heels coming in from the left, but the ball flew a few inches wide of the far post when we really could have done with a second. As it was, we had to make do with just the one goal, but Embo and Neil had been doing really well as O'9 anchored the midfield and allowed those two young guns to strut their funky stuff. It was either one or two added minutes (hearing ineffective amongst the cacophony of the away end, and I forgot there's a scoreboard over to our left) and we saw them out. Perhaps saw them out with a little too much 'hey, we're Sunderland, and we're winning" but... we're Sunderland, and we were winning, so why not? Mebbe another goal, Lads.
No changes for the second half, and somehow Mr Motivator Grayson had stirred his players into a bit of positivity, as they came at us with a bit of vigour... for a while. Despite the home side's introduction of Garner, who proved a handful for a while, we steadied ourselves and wrested control of the game. Geads, like a sparkly spell cast from the wand of Paul Daniels, but inside, leaving defenders tumbling in his wake, and fired in a low shot that had "goal" (as well as Umbro) written all over it. Unfortunately for us, their chunky keeper was down faster than a mag to a dropped pastie, and it was tipped round the post. Close, and it looked to be a costly save (for us);soon after but Winiesta recovered after being beaten to get in the way of a cross at the expense of a corner - which we dealt with well.
On 67, LJ swapped Neil for Evans, which was sort of understandable, but you have to balance keeping the lead with extending it, and Evans, for all his undoubted organisational ability, ain't going to score or set one up. Perhaps Broadhead could, so five minutes later he came on for Embleton. Hmm. Add another attacker, but take away the fuel supply. Still, we pushed forward, with Cirkin and Gooch combining down the left to win a corner. When it came in, Luke was hauled to the turf in such a comical fashion that even a League One referee, a species not noted for their attention to detail, could do no more than point to the spot.
Up stepped Geads, and the keeper went the right way but such was the force of the shot that the ball flew up off his hand/arm and into to roof of the net. Much to the delight of the visiting fans, who climbed onto every available vantage point to let their feelings be known.
Quarter of an hour to go, three points in the bag, sing yer hearts out for the Lads, don't worry, be happy, every little thing's gonna be all right, we are toppa the league....until the 81st minute, when Lane played in Morton after we'd defended like demons for a while, and he plonked it under Hoffman the make it 2-1.
Bugger, in capital letters - but surely we could hold onto that reduced lead? Hoffman was certainly doing his bit, with a tremendous save when a goal looked certain, and Evans was in the right place at the right time to hoof it off the line (or from very close to the line - it was a long way away and my eyes aren't what they used to be). Desperate measures in desperate times, but with Alves on for Geads and the added minutes having already expired, we contrived to pull a Fleetwood player over in the box. Hoffman went left, the shot went right, it was 2-2 and we barely had time to kick off before the whistle went.
Desperately disappointing, especially after going two ahead just when the home side had enjoyed a spell of pressure. Perhaps LJ might reconsider his substitution strategy...but hey, if a dip is a 2-2:draw and only the second game of the season we've not won, I'll take it. As a team we're still new and learning. If only the players Grayson had under his command at SAFC had shown half the bottle his players showed today, we might not even be playing Fleetwood.
Man of the Match? Probably Stewart - the Fleetwood fans said they were scared of him, and he duly caused havoc.
