As we limped our way towards either the play-offs or deep disappointment, the longest trip in our calendar took us to Plymouth and the three points needed to guarantee our place in the aforementioned knock-out nonsense. Ross Stewart’s neat finish after running onto Gooch’s lovely through ball gave us the lead, but we needed character to come back from a leveller to take all three points thanks to Maguire’s cool penalty with seven to go and Hume’s grateful tap home in the dying seconds. We were well worth the win thanks to a thoroughly professional performance that took full advantage of a reduction in numbers for the home side after one of a series of fouls, and had only the disappointment of a home goal to make a slight dent in our day. 3-1, and we look forward to/await with trepidation our opponents in the semi-finals. Play-offs? I hate ‘em.
Having had a few days to reflect on our latest setback, and this time to form a more considered opinion, we could see that Blackpool only had two shots on target and one of those barely had the strength to reach Burge. The other, of course, was unstoppable – and not the first time this campaign when the opposition’s only effort of note went in. How we failed to score remains a mystery, but one that we need to get to the bottom of. At the other end of the pitch, which has been renamed The Centre Half’s Graveyard, we again had to rely on a novice (albeit an enthusiastic and generally effective novice) and a ring-rusty bruiser. Still, as the team headed south for today’s match, we fans could reflect on one of the few bonuses of not being allowed to attend – having to get up at 3am for the bus to Devon. Under old normal circumstances, some folks would simply carry on their standard Friday night festivities and stumble to the bus straight from the pub or club, and sleep their way down the nation’s motorway system, with a quick “head in the sink” stop at Cullompton services, to its most southerly point (Exeter) before heading cross-country. Today, we could all lie in bed until a civilised hour. I know which I’d rather be doing.
Anyway, enough of that lamentation, there was a game to be played – and there was a bit of a surprise when there was no McGeady or Wyke in the squad. Injured or saved for the play-offs? Who knows, just as who knows what the formation would be. Three at the back? Four at the back? Two up top? Three up top? One up top?
Burge
McLaughlin Wright O’Nien Hume
Power Scowen Gooch
Jones Stewart Diamond
…and a bench of Matthews, Leadbitter, Maguire, McFadzean, O’Brien, Winchester and Younger
And we kicked off in our stripes, with natty red shorts for some reason, facing the goal to the right of the camera and commentary from Radio Somewhere in the South West. Power initially took up position at right back, at least for the first few minutes, before pushing up the field a touch – then dropping back again. We won a corner when O’9’s lovely ball was well taken down by Jones and then crossed by Diamond from the right, with a deflection taking it in front of the near post. The commentators advised us that this was the way the game was likely to pan out, with lots of Sunderland possession – which was fine by me. The ref was a wee bit soft on the home side’s insistence on kicking the ball away from every throw and free kick, but at least he had a word with their lad for both a foul and the kicking away of the ball. They took no notice, forever standing over dead balls, but allowing us to press them back into their last few yards.
A Jones shot from a central position outside the box took a deflection but caused the home keeper no problems, and they moved up our left only to be forced back. Hume got right up the pitch and into the box, but his low cross was picked up by the home defence and cleared, with Camara dancing around outside our box before laying it to his left and Burge being equal to the cross. Apparently McFadz and Matthews played for Argyle at some time, according to the Local Radio folks, who were a bit worried when Stewart had a go from distance – but it was blocked. Arrrigle (as our Ian used to call them ) scuffed a shot that Burge fielded comfortably with 14 minutes gone, and at that stage it had been quite an even contest although we’d looked the more patient of the two sides. Another shot, this time from Hardie, was again scuffed and thus easy for Burge as the home side came forward. Gooch carried it to the edge of the box in a central position and found Diamond on the right, but his cross hit a green defender, then we had to defend against a weak penalty shout that brought is a free kick that replays showed might well have been a penalty – although the same replays showed a foul by Argyle shortly in the build-up, so six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Stewart the sprinted down the right onto a delightful pass by Gooch, and with the keeper narrowing the angle, he fired it nicely across and into the net for the opener on 21 minutes. Get in you beauty!
A decent ball into their box then caused them bother, as we held it up well and saw Gooch shoot on the turn but only into the keeper’s arms. Apparently, all of our ten away wins (ten!) have come without us conceding a goal, as the Devonian commentary team informed us after consultation with their Big Book of Stats, then Ennis almost took advantage of a cross from our right, right on the line, but he sliced it in a manner that only he knows how and the ball spun harmlessly for a goal kick. Should really have been at least on target, and probably a goal, but I’ll take the comedy slice, thank you very much. Watts, at the back for Arrigle, is apparently a Mag, and it might well have been him who deflected Power’s shot for a corner on our right, which Jones whipped in and Plymouth cleared. Wright and Power did some delicate passing on our left as they stayed forward following the corner, but they couldn’t fashion a chance. We got the ball forward for Jones to try his luck, but that was blocked, then Gooch hit a blaster from the edge in a central position which the keeper pushed away and the home defence mopped up.
With 37 minutes gone, Hume sort of tried to clear and the ball stotted back off a green shin to give the home side possession, but the cross was hopeless and went for a goal kick with nobody in a Ginsters shirt anywhere near the ball. At this point I’ll admit to having a soft spot for any team advertising party products on their shirts, even if they are playing us and have a chance of knackering up our season. Diamond then robbed their left back and won a corner on our right, which Jones took – a clever low one to the edge of the box in the middle to Power, but his carefully placed side-foot low along the turf was a foot wide of the far post. A clever move, and it could/should have brought the second goal, which we really needed. Stewart headed a long clearance back to Scowen, and he was caught high as the ball dropped, earning their player a yellow and us a free on the edge of the centre circle. Power took it short to our left, and Stewart was almost onto the cross at the back post as it dropped. Come on Lads, one is rarely enough, and Camara almost proved that point by dancing into our box and causing a bit of chaos before a low shot brought a great save, low to his right, out of Burge. Well done Lee – an important stop in the final minute of the half.
Two added minutes were announced, and the home side had a bit of a go, switching from right to left before being thwarted by our defence and we burst up the field with Stewart setting up Gooch to shoot – off the outside of the keeper’s right-hand post. Oooh, that would have been a killer. A free on our left was floated in by Hume for the keeper to gather up aheight, and the whistle went for the break.
While the local radio reckoned that Arrigle could be happy with some things they’d done, we Sunderland fans were generally happy with what we’d done. Their manager had a go at the ref, or linesman, as the players left the field, and got himself booked – for moaning that Stewart was offside, presumably, which replays showed he most certainly wasn’t - while I assume Lee Johnson had a little smile to himself at a job well done. Half a job, anyway, and as the stats showed that all of the half’s eight fouls had been committed by the home side, we were most definitely the side with the upper hand in terms of control – even if the home side had managed three shots on target, all of which Burge had dealt with comfortably.
I couldn’t see the need for any changes, as we were dealing with whatever the home side could put together, and whenever we attacked we looked like at least hitting the target.
Just to make my prediction seem daft, McLaughlin went off and Winchester came on, with us immediately winning a corner on our left which Jones took as Power dropped to right back. Knowing our luck, McLaughlin probably aggravated an injury. Diamond burst down the right, only to be tripped by Law near the corner of the box, bringing the games second yellow and a free for Jones to take. Hume dummied it, Jones did take it, and O’9 tried to flick it on – but it came off his shoulder and went for a goal kick. A beaut of a cross from Hume brought an effort that was blocked, then the header back towards goal was taken high by the keeper. Nearly Lads, and when we broke up the home break, Hume was fouled on halfway. From the free, Jones ran into the box and crossed for the home defence to clear at the near post, then Winchester didn’t quite get his shot right and it flew low just outside the keeper’s right-hand post. Ten minutes into the half, a long clearance by Burge saw Stewart pulled back and another yellow for Plymouth, and a free forty yards from the home goal. Jones plonked it into the edge of the box, with the home defence clearing and trying to build and attack that Winchester ended with a timely tackle on our right.
Plymouth were certainly not out of things and looked like they might create something down their left with Hardie, but they ran the ball out for a goal kick and we took a deep breath before getting the ball up the right with Diamond as the hour approached, but he couldn’t evade the attentions of their left back and it was a throw to Arrigle. Gooch did well to win the ball and play it to Jones, and when he tried to knock it past his man and run on, was blatantly blocked – with Radio Devon asking for a yellow for a dive. As me granda used to say – get yer eyes chalked, man! A minute later, persistence down their left saw them manage a good cross, and Edwards got his head to the ball first in a crowded penalty area to equalise on 62 minutes.
Bugger.
Just to make things more awkward, Hardie was replaced by Lolos and Stewart ran on to a loose ball on the edge of the box and be hacked down – second yellow for Opoku, we had a free on the edge, and Maguire on for Diamond. Chris duly clipped it over the wall, with the keeper and defender somehow keeping it out. The keeper needed treatment as he’s clattered into the post, and Ennis made way for Tomlinson for the home side as Arrigle sought to give the kids a chance. O’9’s ball to Hume got us a free near the flag, but Plymouth got it away only for us to get it back in and Winchester to head over the bar from near the penalty spot.
On 72 minutes, Stewart took a bang on the head off an unintentional forearm, and needed some smelling salts while the other players took the opportunity to have a swift drink of pop. Hume was fouled as we set things away, with the ref rightly letting play go on, and Stewart ‘s header being clawed away from under the bar and the follow-up from Maguire hitting the woodwork – and a yellow being awarded for the earlier foul on Hume. At this stage it was all us pressing and making best use of our numerical advantage, and when Stewart was flattened going for Hume’s cross, we screamed for a penalty but only got a corner. Maguire took it, Plymouth cleared it, then Gooch’s cross from the left was headed clear as it got a bit frantic. Gooch burst in from the right, and he was then tripped on the edge of the box – contact started outside the box but continued inside, so by the letter of the law it was a penalty. Tough on the home side, but a penalty none the less as Maguire put the ball on the spot. He dutifully smacked it to the keeper’s right at medium height to restore our lead. Magic, just magic, and with five minutes to go….
Strangely, the home side responded by changing keepers, although the sub McCormick had been warming up for five minute – apparently it was a bit of a sentimental game, as he’d made his Plymouth debut in 2000 and this was likely to be his last appearance. On came Leadbitter for Scowen, and O’Brien for Stewart, as you’d expect in such a situation, and to give the commentators the chance to point out that Grant’ s Sunderland debut was in 2003, so was only a bit bairn by comparison with their sub keeper.
Five added minutes were announced, which was a bit of a bugger as I’d paced myself for just the standard 90 and O’Brien did well to run onto a ball through and found Gooch on the right. When he turned inside to shoot, the keeper managed to palm it away but only into the path of Hume, who had the easiest of tasks to side-foot (left foot, of course) into an empty net. Play-off place confirmed, which was our target today, so no complaints from me, apart from the usual whinge about our inability to prevent the opposition scoring with goals created against the left side of our defence. Picky? Yes. Pertinent? Also yes. When we’re a goal up against obviously inferior opposition, we should be worrying about where our next goal is coming from, not theirs – but it wouldn’t be Sunderland if we didn’t have at least one “problem full-back” position to worry about.
There you go, then. We’re in the play-offs, and it’s only to be decided who out opponents will be - and having looked at today’s results and next weekend’s fixtures, I can just say that it’s complicated. Very complicated.
Man of the Match? Well, there was nobody to shake our heads at today, as the Lads all did a job. I’ll probably give it to Gooch as he put that lovely ball down the right for Stewart to turn into a goal, released the ball at the right time, won the penalty, had a hand in the third goal, and kept banging in decent crosses. Nice on, Lynden, that’s what we want.
