Birmingham City 2 SAFC 0: Mignolet nightmare but where was our punch?

This was another result we feared, but it should never have happened.

Better team in the first half, miles better at the start of the second and you can guess the rest: goalkeeping error before halftime puts us one down, then City’s first good move in an hour doubles their lead – Mignolet again arguably at fault – to leave Niall Quinn looking as glum as we feel.

As usual, there’ll be plenty to say; we were yet again devoid of punch. And in the end, it just about summed up 2011 for Sunderland.

We had every reason to hope the dreadful run might be about to end. There was not much happening for us up front but we were in charge. All the creativity came from us. SuperKev had barely been seen.

Then the City keeper booted the ball gratefully downfield. There was nothing to worry about. Bardsley had Larsson breathing down his neck but could hoof it out if he had to. Mignolet raised his arm. It’s mine!

Just about every Sunderland supporters knows what happened next. The ball in the back of the net and Bardsley remonstrating with the hapless keeper.

“Harsh to be behind,” read Pete Sixsmith’s text from St Andrew’s, “but we haven’t really threatened.”

Please let it get better , i prayed at half time … by which I didn’t mean let’s go two down.

But after starting well in the second, we again succumbed to the least menace. A decent move but badly defended and Mignolet was slow to get down for the finish. Sadly, it will be his errors – one glaring, one probable – that dictate how we remember yet another disappointing game.

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