John McCormick writes: For 10 minutes I was winning a mug but I was worried, especially as Pete Sixsmith had sent a half time text saying “Our defending is barely Northern League standard”. Then we got that second pen and I began to relax a little, even though that mug was mine no longer. As for Pete, he found something to celebrate – in muted terms – in another text at the end of the match
Off on holiday the morning after the Accrington Stanley game, Monsieur Salut presents a pre-prepared edition of prize Guess the Score, with Gillingham condemned to the long midweek trek north …
When Sunderland travelled to Gillingham back in August, the emphatic 4-1 win was the third of the new season and seemed likely to be followed by a smooth ascent into the top two. They scored first but even that early setback was nullified a minute later as we romped to victory.
Peterborough and Portsmouth had won their first four games, so SAFC had to settle that evening for fourth place, having dropped one point. But it was reasonable to expect the leaders would fade as we continued to assert ourselves under new management and new ownership, with a fresh-looking squad.
Twelve more League One draws later (as I write, prior to the Accrington Stanley game), we know how that expectation came unstuck.
Malcolm Dawson writes…..I reckon I have seen Sunderland play Gillingham on four occasions. I must have seen them at home …
John McCormick writes: I hesitate to give an analysis from a TV broadcast but I thought Accrington Stanley’s confidence grew after about 20 minutes because of our failure to get a grip on the game and the penalty came as no surprise. Surely we could have stopped them before then. Afterwards, we had to battle to stay in the game, which, to our credit, we did, and O’Nien almost won me a mug right at the end.
Perhaps Jack Ross is reconfiguring after Maja and we’re getting there. Or perhaps not. Let’s see what Pete Sixsmith has to say. After all, he was at the game.
John McCormick writes: this game coincides with the start of a real ale festival at the Masonic and I thought to wander down there, have a couple of beers, maybe three, and enjoy the game and the craic. Circumstances dictated otherwise but I did manage to watch the game. Did I enjoy it? Let’s make an informed guess, based on a seven-word text sent immediately post-match by Pete Sixsmith
Monsieur Salut takes up the story: two goals down against commendable but less than mighty opposition, I wondered whether our season was over. OK, the playoffs – but who wants that? That we clawed our way back to a draw spared humiliation but not a deepening concern. It feels like a mini-crisis …
Malcolm Dawson writes…….the games are coming thick and fast and thanks to the TV we have three home floodlit games …
Will Guess the Score predictions become gloomier, asks Monsieur Salut?
Two losing scorelines were submitted for the Blackpool game, and they came from a known Sunderland supporter and from “Brian”, who insists he is also one of us, just a hypercritical one of us.
There was not prizewinner on Tuesday night. No one thought it would end 1-1.
And nor did I when the Blackpool goal went in and there was no immediate response. At 70 minutes, I decided the next 10 would be crucial, and so it turned out.
Monsieur Salut writes: until a day or two ago, it seemed we’d have no Accrington Stanley interviewee for what would have been the return game but for the downpour that forced the abandonment in December. All attempts via e-mail contact and social media to interest obvious or possible candidates in answering our questions fell on deaf dears. With social media, you never know whether it’s ‘didn’t see it’ or ‘couldn’t be bothered to reply’; the one person contacted by e-mail at least said it just ‘wasn’t my thing’.
But I admire Stanley for all the usual ‘proper football’ reasons and especially admire the resurgence of a club that rose from the grave. It doesn’t matter that their home attendances average 2,612, ours 31,615. We’re in the same division and we’ve shown we can struggle against clubs with only a fraction of our resources. So I resolved not to make too big an issue here of this being the first club in League One to be unable to provide an interviewee.
In the event, there was no need to give it a thought. Thank heavens for Peter Leatham*, who gave a great interview before the washed-out game and agreed to answer a shorter list of questions to ensure Stanley’s place once more on these pages.
A shout-out is also in order for Andy Holt, the Stanley owner, for donating money from Sky TV rights to get fans to and from the SoL ..
The current spate of fixtures which are coming thick and fast means an increased workload for Pete Sixsmith so Malcolm …
Pete Sixsmith was there to witness the first of three successive home games that could – like it or not – define our season. The first proved a disappointment, yet another draw. And this time we had to come from behind even for that. Monsieur Salut’s headline suggests the obvious question pending our fuller analysis of the match …