LINES FROM LONDON SUNDERLAND 1-3 SWANSEA Before Its been a joyous week but it could still get even better and the dizzy heights of twelfth place could be ours if we win and other results go our way today. I suppose Im being greedy but Ill be a bit disappointed if we dont make that. Fourth off bottom is really good enough after what Id expected following that hammering at Spurs. There are going to be some changes in our line-up with a few of those who havent had much of a look-in during our recent great run, such as Bardo, having a chance to bask. Theres been much speculation about Guss future and with his wife still living in London, the prospect of working at the Olympic Stadium and his opt-out clause at the end of May, I think theres a fifty-fifty chance of him leaving. Theres also the major factor of what powers hed have at our club in future and if he and Ellis cant come to a satisfactory agreement, that would be crucial too. Of course I hope he stays and who could replace him? David Moyes isnt doing much at the moment; just as long as it wouldnt be Big Sam. Anyway, Swansea probably wont be greatly motivated for this afternoons game so I hope we are, as it would be brilliant to win five in a row. Bony is the man to watch for them so OShea and Brown will have their work cut out with him. Ill be at the game and there should be a party atmosphere. I hope Swansea arent in a balloon-bursting mood. Match prediction: 2-1 to us. The Match Well, in the end the season ended on a bit of an anti-climax with this 3-1 defeat but there was still a lap of honour, as we used to call it, or a thank-you to the fans at the end and most of the large crowd of 45,000 plus stayed around to applaud. Swansea took an early 2-0 lead and they deserved it with their zippy play that left us a pace behind at crucial moments. Dyer got the first when he outpaced the returning Bardo on the edge of the box before shooting home and shortly afterwards Emines did well with a nifty turn that left our defence behind before getting the second. We pulled one back through a good Borini header from a corner not long into the second-half but dangerman Bony, who was a bit of a man-mountain, got their decisive third a few minutes later, with a shot that hit one post and went right across the goal before going over the line, and that was us knackered. We had the better of the second period but try as we might, and we had a number of decent efforts through Johnson and even from substitute Jozy, but they all came to nothing. This was a physical game with Swansea in particular dishing it out and there was a fair sprinkling of yellow-cards. Id almost forgotten about Celustka but he replaced Bardo after an hour or so. Ba looked pretty sharp when he came on for Seb and he could well be a one for the future. Wickham played impressively throughout, okay apart from a duff pass here and there, and hes really come on a lot this season. At the end there were a few shenanigans with a couple of fans on the pitch, one of whom won applause by fleeing from the approaches of mascot Samson, before the players and their copious offspring strolled around the pitch as we clapped them on their way. I dont recall the exact quote but Niall Quinn said something like, “This has been a terrible season with many high-points.” I couldnt agree more. See you next season.
Posted on: Sun, 11 May 2014 20:01:24 +0000
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