Will Grigg

Sixer’s Sub’s Soapbox: Walsall can’t hold on as Sunderland close the gap

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This is one Jake made later (his original, sent when he had to pop out, had the scoreline at 1-1 which he said, I hope you won’t have to use’)

Pete Sixsmith reported windy weather before trotting off to the SOL yesterday and Walsall duly put the wind up Sunderland, who produced yet another shaky start. It turned out well enough in the end, with four of the top six drawing and the seventh-placed club losing, to once more put us in control of our own destiny.

With no game between now and the Checkatrade Trophy final, the Salut! Sunderland team will no doubt be racking their collective brains trying to think up articles that will keep the readership ticking over. By contrast the past few weeks have been pretty hectic and in order to give Pete a bit of a break and allow him some time off to enjoy his other interests, Deputy Editor Malcolm Dawson once more borrows the soapbox to report on yesterday’s game against our visitors from the West Midlands.

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Walsall Who are You?: ‘genuinely shocked Sunderland are not running away with League One’

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Monsieur Salut writes: we heard a little from Darren Fellows* after the first of our earlier games against his club, Walsall.

This time, his answers arrived as both of us nervously awaited Tuesday night’s fixtures. We managed a draw at Barnsley, a result that was good in isolation but left us still chasing the top two, while Walsall did us no favours, beaten at home by Pompey. Over to Darren, who thinks we should be doing  so much better this season than to risk having to accept a playoff place.

It’s another interesting set of answers, though Will Grigg’s friends may want to keep it from his eyes …

 

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SAFC vs Blackpool prize Guess the Score. Wanted: a winning home debut from Grigg

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There IS a prize and you know what it is

Pete Sixsmith was at the disappointing 1-1 draw in the ‘Donald derby’ – reflecting the divided loyalties of our Oxford-supporting owner Stewart Donald (and his executive director Charlie Methven) – and will be writing about his day at greater length over the next 12-24 hours

But with three home games coming up in quick succession, and assuming a slightly worrying degree of significance as Luton and Barnsley set the pace at the top, we need to get the usual features out of the way even if they upset the natural order of Salut! Sunderland business.

Monsieur Salut accordingly brings forward the Blackpool Guess the Score competition and thanks the many thousands of people who came here last week to sample the goodies on offer …

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Sixer’s Sevens from Oxford United 1-1 SAFC: another letdown

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Jake: catch Sixer’s instant seven-word verdicts throughout the season

Pete Sixsmith was happy enough at half time with a ‘decent’ first 45 and a Jimmy Dunne header – from a corner believe it or not – giving Sunderland the advantage. For those not among our 1,800 fans present at the Kassam Stadium, Barnes and Benno made for less reassuring listening. We appeared to live dangerously in all too familiar fashion before Dunne’s goal and again in the second half.

As stoppage time loomed, we looked as if we might hang on. ‘A win’s a win,’ said Nick Barnes and Oxford immediately equalised. Jerome Sinclair inevitably figured in the move; our players argued furiously that he had fouled Dunne before setting up Browne, to no avail. And meanwhile Luton and Barnsley just keep on winning and we haven’t managed more than one goal in a game since the stuttering 2-1 win at home to Bristol Rovers in mid-December.

Sixer’s considered verdict will appear in due course but his seven-word instant verdict sums up his frustration …

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A belated welcome to Will Grigg from Salut! Sunderland – and Christopher Murphy

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Kathryn is very welcome to the pages of Salut! Sunderland. And so is her son Christopher, who reached 13 the other day.

Before one more welcome event, the match that brought three points against Wimbledon, the pair of them had the chance to meet Will Grigg, signed at the last minute on Thursday but still not quite match fit, in the SAFC club shop.

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