A Welcome Point

Before today’s kick-off I couldn’t get out of my head the idea of us being a bit like Yosser Hughes, ‘gizza point’. But it was Sunderland, so there was always hope. And they just about obliged. We showed significantly greater defensive resolve than of late and managed to limit them largely to free headers from set pieces, albeit that should have been enough for them to score once or twice, while MacGillivray delivered a set of decent if expected saves. At the other end, although the stats show we had 37% possession and no efforts on target, we did actually fashion a good chance apiece for our two forwards, neither of which was taken. One came right at the death and if converted would have sent us home ecstatic; as it was we were content. The run of defeats halted and something on the board, the prospect of some games against lesser opposition than of late, and the hope of more key players returning to contest them.

The team showed four changes from last Saturday’s trip to Sheff Wed. Out went Famewo and Matthews (both to the bench), with Pearce coming in to join Lavelle and Gunter as the back three and Jaiyesimi (who had played most of the last game after Matthews had been forced off) and Purrington the wing-backs. Also out were Gilbey and Morgan (also both on the bench) in a refashioned central midfield, with Dobson accompanied by Fraser and Lee, while Stockley was deemed available to start to partner Burstow up front. With Leko the only available forward option in reserve, thoughts centred on just how long we could expect to get out of Stockley.

Let’s face it, the first 30 minutes belonged to Sunderland as we were unable to get out of the traps, deprived of possession by their pressing game. The writing was on the wall when their guy had a free header from a corner on five minutes, heading straight at MacGillivray; and before 20 minutes were up, after he’d turned around a far post header for another Sunderland corner, their guy had another free go at it and should have scored. Just for good measure, after almost 30 minutes there was another header, a near identical free header, and he missed. Each time the delivery had been good and they created the space, but whatever we were supposed to be doing to stopping them from set pieces wasn’t happening, despite Stockley adding to height in the box.

However, they didn’t score with their headers, or from a free kick conceded by Dobson just outside the box, MacGillivray turning the effort over the bar. And we did work our way more into the game in the remainder of the first half. A good delivery in by Lee from a free kick on the left was close to being met by Stockley and just before the break the same two teamed up in similar fashion only for Stockley’s header to go wide, then a great run down the left by Lee, taking out two defenders, led to another corner.

So there were encouraging signs towards the break that we might be able to build on. Instead the second half began in similar fashion to the first and we almost went behind as a ball was played to their guy in the channel on the left side. His shot went past MacGillivray; it may have been going wide in any event but Gunter blocked it in any event, while the episode ended with another shot and another MacGillivray save. But we weathered that storm too.

On the hour we had our turn from a set piece as Lavelle created the space to meet a Lee free kick on the left with a flashing header. With their keeper rooted to the spot and the net moving I thought it had gone in. But it was the side-netting. It was time for changes as our midfield still wasn’t really in the game, neither were our forwards given the poor service. On 65 minutes Gilbey was introduced for Fraser, who had struggled to make any impact on the game.

Just after that we had the first of our two real chances. A long ball found Stockley and he moved it on quickly to find Burstow in space moving towards their goal. I suspect his first thought as the ball sat up was to chip their keeper, but he moved back and that opportunity was lost, while Plan B turned out badly as Burstow screwed his eventual effort well wide. Couldn’t call it a real one-on-one as it was further out than that, but he should at least have made their keeper work.

Burstow then couldn’t quite get on the end of a Gilbey cross from the right and that was to be his last contribution, Leko coming on for him. And as the clock ticked down it was looking like one goal for either side would win it. Sunderland did come close as their guy was played in down the right side and his shot across MacGillivray was well parried – and this time didn’t drop to an inrushing forward. At the end of normal time Dobson tried an ambitious cross-field pass which was intercepted and they broke in numbers, but it all ended with another MacGillivray save.

Into five minutes of stoppage time and we attracted a couple of free kicks to give us the chance to get the ball into their box, the second of which might have given us that undeserved but much desired winner. The ball came in from the left side and Stockley ran around the outside of the line of players, beating the offside trap and receiving the ball in space. He had a lot more time than he might have imagined but instead of getting the ball under control went for the first-time volley and only managed to knock it back across goal in front of others. Like Burstow’s, not an easy chance but a good one.

That was it. No doubt Sunderland left the pitch thinking they had done enough to win the game, but against that they had missed the target with their best opportunities and couldn’t bring more than decent saves out of MacGillivray. For that a good deal of credit has to go to Pearce and his colleagues. And although we didn’t have a functioning midfield until Gilbey gave us better movement, and Burstow was in a game like this, with us on the back foot and unable to build any pressure, a passenger. Add in Stockley still feeling his way back after a long break and us still depleted up front (no Washington or Aneke) and you have to say fair enough, we take the point and move on.