It was one of those games where I chewed my finger ends for the last half an hour or so. I couldn’t tell from my seat if Johnson’s shot had gone in and it was only as the South Stand roared we could be certain in the NW corner. At 1-0 up the tactic seems to be to defend deeper and deeper and City have the talent to break down any defence in front of goal. That said we had chances to put the game to bed but with Joe Hart coming forward for the injury time corners and Lescott brought on as an attacking option I feared the worst. But the Lads held on and oh how we celebrated. Then as the score came in from Old Trafford we celebrated some more.
Jake's imagination
For the second game in a row Martin O’Neill in his post-match e-mail to M Salut can praise the whole team and the home support.
After his rare Saturday off – he gave Southampton a miss – Pete Sixsmith chose a great comeback day, seeing Adam Johnson’s winner help Sunderland to a third successive home win over Man City – and a mightily useful third win in four games. It was indeed the sort of game and therefore the sort of day for which we, as Sunderland supporters, live. Don’t worry if City moan about overwhelming pressure and results against the run of play; the winning of football games is about scoring goals and, where neecssary, defending well. Come back to the site for much more on this sensational result including Sixer’s full assessment in a day or so …
Stéphane Sessegnon had not long joined Sunderland from Paris Saint-Germain when Monsieur Salut first sent him greetings from the home of his club before PSG, Le Mans.
SALUT! SUNDERLAND WISHES ALL CONTRIBUTORS AND READERS, WHOEVER THEY SUPPORT, A FABULOUS CHRISTMAS
Doug Higgingbottom is a one of those people we should salute as mainstays of the game of football. He has always supported Manchester City, not just now with desert gold to make success probable but back when they descended into the third tier. He watches the Under 18s, the Under 21s, the first team in training and shares his thoughts with fellow supporters on a City forum*. His answers to Salut! Sunderland‘s questions ahead of the Boxing Day match between our club and his were a delight to read …
In his post-match e-mail from the St Mary’s, Martin O’Neill can reflect on a job well done on a filthy afternoon. With Christmas just around the corner he shares his goodwill between his team and its fans.
Pete Sixsmith’s seven-word verdicts usually follow a Sunderland match as night follows day. But with the rain falling, and a desperate shortage of gopher wood in the Shildon area, he decided against the long trip to Southampton and spent the day instead searching desperately for a Northern League ground which could satisfy his need for live football. So it falls to *Bob Chapman to sit in as a much appreciated replacement. His seven word verdict is below.
