The Lads got up early after their enforced World Cup break (seems like more than the actual three weeks), but not as early as visitors Millwall, and after a fairly toothless first half put the Lions firmly in their place with three nice goals.
The World Cup, whatever your take on the location and its government, has produced some canny shocks, and given us the chance to see a few former players in action as well as Jewi Bennette and Bailey Wright. Jewi's Costa Rican teammate is none other than Oviedo, who managed a couple of goals from left back as he suffered like the fans during some of our club's worst years, while Wabi Khazri scored for Tunisia, fairly tickling the ball home in contrast to the blasts he produced at the SoL. Add to them John Hawley lookalike Seb "Ralphy" Coates (pronounced Kwatez, apparently) who was an integral part of our defence in Advocaat's version of the Great Escape in 2015 while on loan from Liverpool, signed permanently that summer, and promptly turned to jelly, scoring an OG at Everton and leaving for foreign fields in January 2016. There were also three local lads on display in the Jordans and Giovanni Reyna, born in Sunderland during his dad's all-too-brief stay on Wearside 20 years ago - enough to keep your interest up. My last word on the World Cup is that if there's any question over the validity of Japan's crucial goal against shot-shy Spain, then 90% of the corner kicks taken in the Premier League are illegal. So there.
Of course, Australia's progress beyond the group stage means that Wright remains in the Middle East for today's game, so we had to decide who'd take his place on the bench. Not Benno, who'd received his M, and his Honorary Degree from Sunderland Uni, since last we met - although he'd probably put in a decent shift if required.
Patterson
Gooch O'Nien Batth Alese
Neil Evans
Diallo Pritchard Clark
Simms
We kicked off South, and Millwall quickly set their stall out by whining on to the ref while kicking lumps out of our players, particularly their huge number five. They tried playing for free kicks but thankfully the ref didn't fall for many of their claims. No Kevin Muscat? We'll just be horrors of our own.
Batth got hurt in the head on 10 but had his nose put back together and rejoined the fray fairly quickly, although it was probably the least control we've had of a game this season as the ball flew from one end to the other. We had shaky moments but Patto was smartly down to save on 15 and that took a bit of the wind out of Millwall's sails. We looked like a team that hadn't played for three weeks but the ref giving them a free-kick when they tackled themselves didn't help.
There were rugby scrum tactics for their corner, which we thankfully rose above (literally and figuratively), but there were always feet left in - a properly filthy team. On 28 we won a free-kick in the inside left spot, but Pritch hit it low and harmless into the wall and we eventually won a corner on the right - which came to nothing.
Diallo looked to have the goal at his mercy on 33 but didn't shoot. Constant fouling by Millwall brought a yellow for Honeyman on 34, to ironic cheers from the home fans
Pritch got it to Simms on 37 but his low shot was saved comfortably. Great defending by Diallo prevented any danger to Patto's goal, and there was a third yellow on 40 for the visitors. The four added minutes brought no reward, so we had half time to discuss what to change.
In that added time the ball should never have been passed back to Patterson from our left in the first place, but the clearance was awful, and we were lucky to keep it out of our net.
0-0 at the break and that was about right, although if we'd had World Cup reffing they'd have been down to eight men.
No changes for the second half, and on 49 Pritch's low shot brought an easy save after a clever interchange with Clarke. On 52 some great patient work by Pritch down the left set up Simms with a roll into the middle, and it was Diallo, again, who managed to force it in from a couple of yards. Whoop whoop!
Dan Neil headed off the line a minute later, we played as if we'd been telt at half time. Properly telt.
On 58 Gooch got down the right and did really well to beat his man and get it in to Pritch, who took his time (almost too much!) on the top edge of the box to find space and pick his spot low to the keeper's left. Get in!
65 two Millwall subs and Honeyman and Another went off - both of whom had been booked.
Diallo saw a push in the back coming so he stepped out of the way and their man fell over. On 68 we had a shot just wide as Simms started to make some good runs, having realised their giant five was slower than the number six from West Auckland.
With 20 to go, Patto had to tip over a cross for yet another corner, but we defended it well, but Gooch got a yellow when he lost his pip after not getting the decision when blocked and a minute later Roberts was on for Diallo.
On 79 Cirkin came on for Clarke, as we were getting ready to celebrate Simms cleverly lobbed the keeper and rolled in the third.
Man of the Match? Alese was superb, Patto was faultless, but Simms, after nobody spotted his runs in the first half, was onto most things in the second, so he gets my vote.
