This is where Pete Sixsmith captures the glory and shame, hope and despair, excitement and ennui of the Sunderland matchday experience. When, rarely, Pete is absent or delayed, a supersub does it for him and the seven-word verdict is preceded by an asterisk. Pete’s full analysis of the game will usually appear within a day or two.
In dire conditions in a game allowed to go ahead after a late pitch inspection, James McClean fired home a winner to maintain the astonishing momentum we have achieved with what Martin O’Neill gets out of Steve Bruce’s players. Two successive homes victories against Arsenal and not just one would be just what we need to keep it going, Lads, so do the business at the Riverside.
For any Stoke fans who stray this way, please bear in mind that Sunderland supporters watching around the world and emailing their thoughts to the Blackcats list seemed unanimous that Huth was desperately unlucky to see red instead of yellow. They also agreed it was essentially a brilliant result from an awful game in dreadful conditions; Pete’s seven-worder arrived late, perhaps delayed by the quick getaway needed by a driver (of the Durham branch SAFCSA coach) hoping to navigate a route north after receiving a “severe weather warning”.
The full Sixer’s Sevens archive – see link below – sums up what all Sunderland supporters feel, from darkest gloom to sublime elation, in the words one who is usually there …
Feb 4 2012 Stoke City (0) 0 SAFC (0) 1 *McClean clincher makes winter seem less bleak or (Sixer’s delayed verdict) bêtes noires beaten in Artic type conditions
Feb 1 2012 SAFC (2) 3 Norwich City (0) 0 An absolute stroll as Canaries brushed aside
Jan 29 2012 FA Cup 4th Round: SAFC (0) 1 Middlesbrough (1) 1 Honours even in typically scrappy cup derby
Jan 21 2012 SAFC (1) 2 Swansea City (0) 0 Quality goals and a very disciplined performance
Jan 14 2012 Chelsea (1) 1 SAFC (0) 0 * Fine performance not reflected in the score
Jan 8 2012 FA Cup 3rd round: Peterborough United 0 (0) SAFC 2 (0) No banana skin as Posh pushed over
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To see Sixer’s Sevens in full, click here. If an asterisk precedes the comment, the words that follow are the work of someone else because Pete is for once absent from the game or his verdict has been delayed …
Huth sending off whilst unfair is maybe karma,he is a bit of a thug,….this is an occupational hazard for his style of play…just ask Catts
For me, today had a number of “firsts” primarily, but not exclusively, because of the “auto correct” on the TV cameras.
1) The first time I thought that we had a team of TOTALLY none whites playing for us.
2) The first time I have ever seen Richardson as white and Larsson as black.
Neither of these comments should, please, be interpreted as rascist and only as amusing (which was the way that they were intended!
No doubt, though, that some anonymous keyboard warriors will still give me a thumbs down – welcome Jeremy & Malcolm!
On a more serious note.
What, for me, was impressive was the way that (as far as I can recall) Stoke were not given a single chance to score – NOT one, ignoring long range half chances.
Can anyone remember a previous visit, to The Britannia, when this was the case?
I can’t!
One complaint (as a TV viewer) – why didn’t they use an orange ball?
I just hope that the guys/guyesses that paid to travel to Stoke had a better appreciation of what was happening.
My excuse for not being there is that I now live in Thailand!
Not my thumb down Phil!
Great result and well done James McClean, gained in the teeth of appalling weather conditions and refereeing.
Thats the first time I have watched a game when the cameras continued to loose where the ball was.
As for Mr Atkinson, no consistency just random decision making.