Lee Johnson was happy with the result and the style of the performance as his side defeated Plymouth…
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
“I thought it was proper entertainment, both teams played a good part in an entertaining League One game. Plymouth are a good side, awkward to apply pressure to. We did really well in the first 15 minutes and that’s where we’ve effectively won the game. I thought we should have put it to bed with the really good chances that we had. We gave them a goal, which was disappointing, I thought we should have done better with that and it’s something to look at in-depth. But it’s third game in a week at home, another really tough game and we’ve got seven points from nine. We wanted nine and probably should have had nine with the level of performance, but I am proud of the lads really. Four or five weeks ago people questioned what we were doing, whether we were good enough. I think the young players in particularly, because they haven’t been through it before, have come out really strong and that stands us in good stead."
BROADHEAD GOAL
“It was another great move, a really good team goal and one for our highlights reel. The movement before he finished was really good and the finish was sublime, it is almost a bit of a drag and a backheel all in one. You have to be full of confidence to execute that. I think the standards of the boys have been outstanding, to be honest. Whether it be turning their socks inside out so the kit lady doesn’t have to spend 45 minutes a day doing that, whether it be keeping the dressing room tidy, or whether it be the consistent performances in training, the likes of Dajaku and Pritchard have given us another level in that regard, and getting that fitness to be able to compete Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday.”
GOOCH INJURY
“Lynden went for a header and landed funnily - he almost did the splits. It's a groin strain and he felt it enough to come off. Sometimes they settle down pretty quickly and sometimes they are bad - there's no real in-between - he will probably be fit for training on Tuesday or out for three or four weeks. Doyle was dragged out a bit once Goochy went off, and Leon was playing out of position at wingback, Embleton out of position, Winchester out of position - that's credit to them and to the work that we do. They are tactically adaptable and fighting for the cause even when they are in uncomfortable positions. It’s third game in a week at home, another really tough game and we’ve got seven points from nine. We wanted nine and probably should have had nine with the level of performance, but I am proud of the lads really.”
Meanwhile, Plymouth gaffer Steven Schumacher gave his assessment on proceedings. "It wasn't a great start, obviously. We're disappointed to have given them a 2-0 head-start, it's a tough enough game here at the best of times. They scored from a well-worked corner routine and sometimes you have to hold your hand up and say fair play, it was clever and it inventive. The second goal we're very disappointed with because we felt it was too easy. For the rest of the half we hung on in, to be honest, we were under pressure even though we had a lot of the ball, they looked the more likely. Second half we got a bit closer to them, won a lot more second balls, had more of a threat. On another day one of the little half chances we had might go in and you've fought back and got something out the game. We're not too far away from what we want to see from our team, we're just lacking a little bit of quality at the moment. Defensively, we're not performing quite as well as we were earlier in the season, but it's fine margins. When I look at the work Sunderland do and all the information we had on them, Lynden Gooch is one of their most creative players and I'm thinking, it's good to have probably our best defensive wing-back on that side. You also see Nathan Broadhead on that side, and he's a real handful, in really good form at the moment. So that was the thinking, it was tough for Broomy. He looked more comfortable when we got him on the right."
