Wow. Like the Mini Metro which knocked me off my bike, I didn't see that coming. The Lads - those who remained after yesterday's transfer nonsense - hosted the Saints at the SoL and thoroughly dismantled them. We allowed them possession where it didn't matter and defended like demons when it did. A brace of belters from Ekwah followed Clarke's headed opener, and we added others from Dack and Rigg after the break to round off a great dinnertime of fun in the sun.
Friday was the day that our last three Wembley scorers left, and Stewart's move went right to the wire with rumours that he'd failed his medical surfacing - but hey, why let the truth get in the way of a story? His departure had become virtually inevitable and, all things considered, probably wasn't a bad deal.
I was most disappointed about Gooch, and not just for sentimental reasons as the Lad could fill a variety of roles on the pitch and wasn't after more money. Neither do I understand Embo's loan, especially after Mowbray's comments, but professional football is often beyond the understanding of ordinary folks like the fans. On the positive side, nothing came Pritch's way, so he remains a Lad for the foreseeable future.
Arrivals seem to be largely to baffle poor folks like me who have to try and type Auochiche (who just looks like Jack Clarke with a perm) and Nazariy Rusyn on a hopefully regular basis. A second (third?) forward is young Burstow from Chelsea, where we've benefited from the Blues' propensity for buying young Brits to top up their quota of locals, then loaning them out. Anyway, I'm told our business came to eleven in and ten out so tarra to those departing and alreet marra to those arriving.
Patterson
Hume O'Nien (c) Ballard Cirkin
Neil Ekwah
Ba Bellingham Clarke
Dack
..and a bench of Bishuuurrrp, Huggins, Taylor, Hemir, Seelt, Triantis, Pritchard, Bennette, and Rigg.
Naturally, the latest Spice Boys were paraded before the kickoff, minus the Ukrainian, and took their obligatory selfies to tremendous applause, which would have boosted them no end. Quite what they made of Wise Men Say is something else.
We kicked off towards the Roker, repelled a Saints corner on our left and broke for Ekwah to carry it down the left before switching it to Hume, whose curling cross went behind the defence for Clarke to head home. After a minute! Six minutes after that we got it to Ekwah from the right, and from a central position twenty yards out, he drilled it low inside the keeper's left-hand post. Wowzers, as they say. We won the ball back from the restart, and an identical cross from Hume needed their keeper to be in his toes to collect with Clarke lurking again.
On twelve, Ba was away down the right and cut in to curl a left-footer just over the far angle. Close, very close, but then came the visitors' bit of dominance which we allowed them - chiefly in their half and without committing Lads to get caught upfield. Good tactics, boss.
Patto made a comfy save from a free, then the ref booked O9 for not getting away from a free - which would have been impossible in the half second he had to do so. Just to add insult to injury, he booked Ba for a dive in the box but didn't repeat the punishment when their player did the same on halfway. Dack's free kick brought a fine save from the keeper going low to his left, and they cleared the resultant corner.
When Ekwah found himself on the end of a good move as the half drew to a close, he twisted to fire another into the same spot as we were singing "you're not fit to referee". Marvelous. In the two added minutes, Hume celebrated a cracking tackle O9 style.
We were well worth the lead, but still couldn't dispel the memories of Burnley a year ago, although all we had to do was stick to Mowbray's plan.
No changes for us, while they brought on Che Adams and an ex-mag to add beef and pace to their attack. Barely two minutes in a lovely reverse pass from Clarke out to Cirkin from the corner of the box allowed young Dennis to sling a cross into the box for Dack to meet with his head and bring a terrific save from the keeper, but when Ba whacked it back in he was still there to knock it home. 4-0, and the cries of "we want eight" went up.
Ballard and Luke bust a gut to clear a dangerous cross, with the former needed treatment after his marra whacked home as well as the ball, but was back on fairly sharpish. We won a corner which was cleared from a crowded box, and O9's hoof from 35 yards landed just behind the crossbar. Four up, anything is worth a try!
Another thunderous tackle by Hume brought another roar of of approval, then we brought on Hemir and Pritch for Jobe and Dack just after the hour. Our big Brazilian showed great tappy-lappy control in the box almost immediately but fired just wide. When there was no yellow for their man booting the ball fifty yards after we win a free, Luke gained revenge by hitting it straight into Adams. Yellow!
Patto was deceived by a low shot, but it went for a corner as he at least got in the way of it.
Another Hemir shot won us a corner, then on came Rigg and Bennette for Ba, who'd run himself into the ground, and Clarke. With three to go we set Hemir galloping through the middle but the keeper did well to block the shot. In the five added minutes, a quadruple twazzle by Jewi on the left allowed him to swing in a cross that was inches too high for Hemir, but Rigg was at the back post to head back across and in.
5-0. Gerrinn!
The Saints put in some good crosses, but really needed a big centre forward to get on the end of them, while we were superb all over the place.
Man of the Match? Great stuff defensively by Luke and Ballard, but it had to be Ekwah. Two goals from deep midfield and never running out of energy. Great stuff, big Pierre - you get my nod this week.
