| Are You Not Entertained? – Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game 03:16 - Sep 27 with 4798 views | HarryfromBath |
Two Portman Road games in 10 days. My work colleague is free now to cover midweek days for me so this was a road-test — literally — to see if Tuesday night trips to Suffolk were viable. An uneventful drive over and a functional bolt-hole was secured in a hotel by the A12, so I pitched up in Ipswich at 6pm and had time to stroll up to the pub on an autumnal evening.
It was still bright but I caught a glimpse of the floodlights which had been switched on. A small thing, but I’m so glad we have proper ones at each corner of the ground. They are heart-warming beacons, beckoning supporters to come and they have a sense of permanence. It is no coincidence that we have done some of our best work under those lights for undoubtedly there is magic in their glow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The floodlights were more prominent walking down to the ground from the pub although it wasn’t fully dark. The rose-pink crescent of the moon could be picked out against the fading blue sky. A calm mild evening would be our backdrop and the ground looked magnificent.
When the line-ups were announced, we had a variation of the second half XI against Bolton. Bersant Celina was central and behind Joe Garner. Mick also sensibly decided to let Martyn Waghorn off the leash from the start. Sunderland’s 4-3-3 was a good upgrade on recent games, with Aiden McGeady and Callum McManaman on the flanks and with the solid midfielder Darron Gibson also starting.
I texted MrsHfromB that this game had a feeling of goals about it. We were licking our wounds after the Leeds game and Mick had put out an incredibly attacking line-up. Sunderland were also going for it with as much pace and directness as they could find, but the fact that Jonny Williams was missing was a huge relief. We all remember his superb display under the lights against Derby back in 2014.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And so we kicked off. The fourth minute brought the first foul on Joe Garner and the first reaction. The sideshow was up and running and there were even more knowing grins in the Co-op. He has this knack of rubbing the back of his head throughout the game, checking to see if the imaginary elbow has drawn any blood. We have not had a player in years who will work the referee the way he does.
The first goal scorer was inevitable. We had quickly targeted the Wearsiders’ left flank where Adam Matthews was out of position and Dominic Iorfa was bombing forward almost as a wing-back. The Wolves loanee played the ball back to Garner from high up the pitch, and Joe’s cross was glanced home by Waghorn. It was a high-quality finish and perfectly placed to beat the outstretched keeper.
“Everybody back defending.” Sunderland won a corner soon after which originated from sloppy play after a Town throw-in and they made it count. Billy Jones’s positioning had been compared by Wearsiders unfavourably to an empty Greggs bag during the week, but there was nothing wrong with it as he attacked the near post from the corner and nailed his header into the net.
The next 15 minutes passed with little goalmouth incident, but we took control and established the pattern of play with patient passing and probing. I counted one move which lasted 27 passes and which saw Waghorn’s shot saved comfortably by Wearsiders’ keeper Jason Steele. The visitors were backing off us, allowing us to move the ball around and build a vitally important rhythm and tempo.
Waghorn had a marvellous game. He uses his strength and body shape to screen the ball and signal to team-mates what he is thinking. The rest of the team are starting to anticipate and read his play and they are making clever runs to capitalise on this. He nearly scored a second goal when Jonas Knudsen joined the party and played him in with a clever cross, but his finish went across the goal.
The tempo and energy were building. Bersant Celina was popping up on the left with McGoldrick in behind Garner. Sunderland were starting to drop deeper as they weren’t quite sure where the next blow would come from. We won a corner when Knudsen’s pot-shot deflected wide and took the lead again when Jordan Spence’s header was bulleted home with nobody seeming to pick him up.
Sunderland’s tactic was to try and test our defence with direct play. There was a constant procession of lofted balls on to the D of our penalty area throughout the game. Midway through the first half they also tried Leeds’s trick of striker James Vaughan dropping deep to meet a lofted goal-kick, the aim being to feed the runner bombing in behind. Not this time, we were ready to deal with it.
The final 15 minutes of the first half were characterised by wave after wave of Ipswich attacks, and coming from all quarters. Tom Adeyemi’s header was straight at Sunderland’s keeper and Waghorn’s turn and swivel was narrowly wide after yet more neat interplay. The visitors had one late chance via Lamine Kone from corner, but they were glad to hear the half-time whistle only one goal behind.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ipswich players left the field to a warm ovation at the break. I texted to a friend that we could see Sunderland equalise and dig in or that we could cut loose and tear them to shreds. They were looking ragged as the half wore on and were losing their shape and composure. McManaman was the most frustrated, but McGeady also made one nasty unpunished challenge under our noses.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bart had little to do before the break apart from one smart low save, but a brilliant tip over from Lee Cattermole’s smart header just after the break would prove pivotal. We kept our defensive shape well but we can be a little too open and careless with the ball at the back. This problem was to give us no end of headaches later in the half when Sunderland regrouped and were in full flight.
If we were open at the back, we were irresistible up front and we were getting most joy down the visitors’ left flank. Waghorn and Iorfa seemed to be well on top of Matthews, who was getting little help from McGeady. When Waghorn broke through yet again, a Sunderland challenge saw the ball fall to Garner whose shot flashed across the face of the goal. It was a prelude to a very special goal.
Some swift interplay down the same flank between Garner and Iorfa allowed the right-back to feed Waghorn. The former Rangers man back-heeled the ball to Celina who smashed the ball into the net with the Sunderland back line now cut to ribbons. All four sides of the ground erupted and you could see the psychological damage inflicted on Sunderland’s players as we wheeled away in celebration.
We were now becoming unstoppable, and Waghorn — again down the right — reacted quickly to a turnover in possession by the equally alert Garner. As he hammered down the line to tee up a cross, McGoldrick reacted three seconds quicker than any of the Sunderland players and raced into the box ahead of them. It looked as if Didzy’s shot was smothered but he tenaciously forced the ball home.
It was a superb counter-attack, and it also struck me that the differing nature of the four finishes had showcased the versatility of out attacking play. One from open play, one from a set-piece, one from a superb one-touch move and one from a counter-attack. Sunderland didn’t know what to prepare for during this phase of play and their fans’ premonitions of a trouncing were starting to come true.
It was fitting that McGeady pulled a goal back for them, cutting inside in front of their fans and rifling a quite superb shot which no keeper would have stopped. It will give their fans hope as he was their one bright spark and he could cause problems with a fit-again Jonny Williams. McManaman was growing more petulant and frustrated in contrast and it was no surprise when he was substituted.
“Every team has a good spell.” McGeady’s goal sparked a very neurotic phase of play for us. We couldn’t control the ball and they came at us, launching the ball aerially or trying to put McGeady or substitutes George Honeyman and Lynden Gooch in on goal. They were trying to capitalise on our anxiety, throwing men forward to unsettle us and buy set-pieces at the very least. It was working.
There was a brief break in play as the referee sought to have words with the Sunderland bench. You could see Cole Skuse and Luke Chambers also having quiet words with the less-experienced players who had a habit of playing slightly over-ambitious passes and turning possession over to Sunderland.
One McGeady freekick narrowly flew over while Cattermole had an effort flash wide of the post. Whereas Bolton had genuine problems finding the net, Sunderland have the more potent attack and should climb out of trouble when injuries abate and, crucially, if they can get themselves organised.
It felt as if the game had one last coup-de-grace and sure enough it started from the maestro. With minutes remaining and Sunderland mentally shattered, McGoldrick played Ward in superbly and the former Spurs man kept his head, calmly rounding the helpless keeper and drilling the ball home. The game was up. This was an emphatic win which completely reflected the balance of play.
There was time to salute McGoldrick with a stoppage time substitution and the ground rose as one to acclaim him. He was scorer, provider, left-winger, left-back, defensive midfielder and deep-lying playmaker all in one. He was also the bringer of deft touches, precise accurate passes and footballing intelligence hard to live with. There was also a small friendly hand-slap with Garner as he departed.
“Sacked in the morning, you’re getting sacked in the morning.” The North Stand serenaded Simon Grayson, who must hate this ground by now. We were close to the dugouts and noted that it gave Mick the chance to call across to the hapless Sunderland boss and say that they had been singing it about him last season. Grayson, to be fair, took it in good spirit and a degree of gallows humour.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Did you enjoy that?”, “I’m not used to all this excitement.” The players left to a tumultuous ovation and the mother of all fist-pumps from Chambers. The North Stand had been in fine full voice through the game and were revelling in it, but the evening’s events even sent the Co-op brigade sitting by me back to their homes with a spring in their steps. It was an evening that comes around very rarely.
That said, I did receive a text from a jealous fellow-supporter noting that I had been to Millwall as well. It is still only September and I feel spoiled rotten. This time last year we could barely buy a goal and look at us now. Walking away from the stadium I had a quick word with Sir Alf, telling him how much he would have enjoyed that. He didn’t reply but then again, he always was quite taciturn.
We can now confidently put two ghosts to bed. The first is last season’s insipid form returning to haunt us. We can set our sights at the least at a mid-table finish. Last season knocked our confidence but we are moving way beyond the point of looking over our shoulders. It would take a catastrophic sequence of results and losses of form for this campaign to unravel in the way that last seasons did.
The second is the fear that last season’s insipid football will return to haunt us. I would gently say to any fellow-supporter indignant at our style of play to start thinking now about what they might be missing. The only problem with this football is that it leaves you wide away in the middle of the night completely and utterly incapable of sleep. The football I have witnessed us play has been riveting.
We are by no means perfect. Our defending needs refining and tightening and our younger players are still a little uncoordinated in possession. It’s also worth adding that the contingent coming from the West Country on Saturday will ask more probing questions than our previous two guests. As for me, I will head back down in that direction today royally entertained. You would be mad to miss it.
[Post edited 27 Sep 2017 10:41]
|  |
| |  |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 03:44 - Sep 27 with 4737 views | jeera |
Cheers for the read Harry.
Safe drive back. |  |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 05:40 - Sep 27 with 4682 views | Illinoisblue |
You’re a very fine wordsmith Harry, and so much more fun to read after a display like that. Optimism and hope have returned, as well as fun. Long may it continue. COYB |  |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 05:40 - Sep 27 with 4673 views | caught-in-limbo |
That's a great read Harry. Thanks. |  |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 07:30 - Sep 27 with 4465 views | hoppy |
Fantastic read Harry, although somewhat tinged with disappointment not to have seen you this time. Safe journey back! |  |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 07:44 - Sep 27 with 4395 views | Currie10 |
What time did you get back to good old Bath Harry?
I saw Dave also went up. |  | | |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 08:21 - Sep 27 with 4285 views | rayman_10 |
Ah yes, David Vaughan the ageing Forest deep lying midfielder.
Not James Vaughan who Sunderland signed in the summer from Bury? ;)
Excellent Read though. If you’re not a journalist already you should definitely look in to becoming one! 😂
Safe trip back |  |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 08:23 - Sep 27 with 4285 views | Steve_M |
I was going to write up some thoughts this morning but not much point now!
It was fun though, Portman Road under floodlights with a bit of mist around is always atmospheric, much more like memories of the late 80s and early 90s than is possible on a clear night. The performance though was more like Tuesday night matches under Royle, goals and chances aplenty at both ends of the pitch.
I thought our second goal knocked Sunderland back and that spell of pressure afterwards really got the crowd going after a quiet 20 minutes or so off the pitch. The way we played for the rest of the first-half was as fluid and consistent as I've seen as play for a long time. Confidence is as infectious as fear in football, and the combination of hard work and skill throughout the team became more and more confident as the half went on, the only pity was we hadn't got a deserved third goal.
Other than Cattermole's early chance - Celina gave the ball away poorly in a dangerous area - and Bart's flap from the corner afterwards we continued in a similar vein into the second half. The third goal was a thing of beauty but also notable for Garner's hard work when he might have lost the ball and the fourth the sort of thing that happens to a side playing well. Conversely Sunderland's defenders slumped on the pitch or standing with heads bowed showed how familiar the opposite feeling was to them.
McGeady was, as you say, Sunderland's best player by a long way, his goal was superb and dragged Sunderland back into the match. Fortunately we had our dodgy spell with a two goal cushion and without Bart being unduly troubled - even if that deflected free-kick did take an age to drop wide. We had lost focus and control before, rather than because of, the double substitution but it took Nydam and Ward some time to get into the game.
They did get into it though and we were comfortable well before the fifth - I can't decide which was better of McGoldrick ghosting past the defender, the pass to Ward or the composed finish from a tight angle. All were excellent.
If we can build on this - win home matches regularly and the odd one in style - then it will go a long way to rebuilding the relationship between manager and fans and making up for the generally disappointing home form of the last two seasons. With some real belief and goals in the team then a genuine play-off challenge isn't impossible this season.
The thing with the Championship though is we'll have a couple of matches to play like that before opponents work out how to counter it. The line of Waghorn, Celina and McGoldrick behind Garner looked a little ungainly early on and McGoldrick took twenty minutes to get into the game. It also leaves the full backs a bit exposed in the way Fulham exploited well.
I don't think this season is about a best XI, more the use of the squad to rotate players, manage injuries and the youngsters. That gets a bit trickier when Webster, Smith and Huws are fit but it should be fun to watch. Roll on Saturday. |  |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 08:36 - Sep 27 with 4223 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
Beautiful writing as ever Harry......do you write as part of your employment or purely for pleasure on here ? |  |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 10:05 - Sep 27 with 4071 views | SWGF |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 08:23 - Sep 27 by Steve_M |
I was going to write up some thoughts this morning but not much point now!
It was fun though, Portman Road under floodlights with a bit of mist around is always atmospheric, much more like memories of the late 80s and early 90s than is possible on a clear night. The performance though was more like Tuesday night matches under Royle, goals and chances aplenty at both ends of the pitch.
I thought our second goal knocked Sunderland back and that spell of pressure afterwards really got the crowd going after a quiet 20 minutes or so off the pitch. The way we played for the rest of the first-half was as fluid and consistent as I've seen as play for a long time. Confidence is as infectious as fear in football, and the combination of hard work and skill throughout the team became more and more confident as the half went on, the only pity was we hadn't got a deserved third goal.
Other than Cattermole's early chance - Celina gave the ball away poorly in a dangerous area - and Bart's flap from the corner afterwards we continued in a similar vein into the second half. The third goal was a thing of beauty but also notable for Garner's hard work when he might have lost the ball and the fourth the sort of thing that happens to a side playing well. Conversely Sunderland's defenders slumped on the pitch or standing with heads bowed showed how familiar the opposite feeling was to them.
McGeady was, as you say, Sunderland's best player by a long way, his goal was superb and dragged Sunderland back into the match. Fortunately we had our dodgy spell with a two goal cushion and without Bart being unduly troubled - even if that deflected free-kick did take an age to drop wide. We had lost focus and control before, rather than because of, the double substitution but it took Nydam and Ward some time to get into the game.
They did get into it though and we were comfortable well before the fifth - I can't decide which was better of McGoldrick ghosting past the defender, the pass to Ward or the composed finish from a tight angle. All were excellent.
If we can build on this - win home matches regularly and the odd one in style - then it will go a long way to rebuilding the relationship between manager and fans and making up for the generally disappointing home form of the last two seasons. With some real belief and goals in the team then a genuine play-off challenge isn't impossible this season.
The thing with the Championship though is we'll have a couple of matches to play like that before opponents work out how to counter it. The line of Waghorn, Celina and McGoldrick behind Garner looked a little ungainly early on and McGoldrick took twenty minutes to get into the game. It also leaves the full backs a bit exposed in the way Fulham exploited well.
I don't think this season is about a best XI, more the use of the squad to rotate players, manage injuries and the youngsters. That gets a bit trickier when Webster, Smith and Huws are fit but it should be fun to watch. Roll on Saturday. |
McGoldrick took twenty minutes to get into the game because it took twenty minutes for him to swap positions with Celina! |  |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 10:10 - Sep 27 with 4054 views | Steve_M |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 10:05 - Sep 27 by SWGF |
McGoldrick took twenty minutes to get into the game because it took twenty minutes for him to swap positions with Celina! |
Yes, there is that. Not sure quite what the logic was of starting as we did. | |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 10:41 - Sep 27 with 3935 views | kiwiblue |
Great read thanks from far away but you missed out the best bit. Which pub and which warm flat beer....?
Cheers again Harry |  | | |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 10:51 - Sep 27 with 3911 views | HarryfromBath |
Cheers everyone. Setting off from Colchester home now and I can still feel the adrenaline in the system.
Optimism and hope have returned, Illy, and they could hardly fail to after last night's heroics. I hope Yasmin had a superb evening Hoppy - I was looking out for her when the teams came out onto the pitch, she should have had a terrific time! I have edited the text, Rayman, as I got my Vaughans mixed up last night. Thank you!
KiwiBlue I went to the Greyhound and had a pint of Ghost Ship. Steve put me on to it a few years back and it is an immediate destination when I reach Town. I never thought I would have an Ipswich pre-match ritual, but one seems to be forming. | |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 11:11 - Sep 27 with 3844 views | HarryfromBath |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 08:23 - Sep 27 by Steve_M |
I was going to write up some thoughts this morning but not much point now!
It was fun though, Portman Road under floodlights with a bit of mist around is always atmospheric, much more like memories of the late 80s and early 90s than is possible on a clear night. The performance though was more like Tuesday night matches under Royle, goals and chances aplenty at both ends of the pitch.
I thought our second goal knocked Sunderland back and that spell of pressure afterwards really got the crowd going after a quiet 20 minutes or so off the pitch. The way we played for the rest of the first-half was as fluid and consistent as I've seen as play for a long time. Confidence is as infectious as fear in football, and the combination of hard work and skill throughout the team became more and more confident as the half went on, the only pity was we hadn't got a deserved third goal.
Other than Cattermole's early chance - Celina gave the ball away poorly in a dangerous area - and Bart's flap from the corner afterwards we continued in a similar vein into the second half. The third goal was a thing of beauty but also notable for Garner's hard work when he might have lost the ball and the fourth the sort of thing that happens to a side playing well. Conversely Sunderland's defenders slumped on the pitch or standing with heads bowed showed how familiar the opposite feeling was to them.
McGeady was, as you say, Sunderland's best player by a long way, his goal was superb and dragged Sunderland back into the match. Fortunately we had our dodgy spell with a two goal cushion and without Bart being unduly troubled - even if that deflected free-kick did take an age to drop wide. We had lost focus and control before, rather than because of, the double substitution but it took Nydam and Ward some time to get into the game.
They did get into it though and we were comfortable well before the fifth - I can't decide which was better of McGoldrick ghosting past the defender, the pass to Ward or the composed finish from a tight angle. All were excellent.
If we can build on this - win home matches regularly and the odd one in style - then it will go a long way to rebuilding the relationship between manager and fans and making up for the generally disappointing home form of the last two seasons. With some real belief and goals in the team then a genuine play-off challenge isn't impossible this season.
The thing with the Championship though is we'll have a couple of matches to play like that before opponents work out how to counter it. The line of Waghorn, Celina and McGoldrick behind Garner looked a little ungainly early on and McGoldrick took twenty minutes to get into the game. It also leaves the full backs a bit exposed in the way Fulham exploited well.
I don't think this season is about a best XI, more the use of the squad to rotate players, manage injuries and the youngsters. That gets a bit trickier when Webster, Smith and Huws are fit but it should be fun to watch. Roll on Saturday. |
Completely, completely agree with you Steve on all of this. The point about confidence which you make is nailed on and the contrast with last year is possibly most marked in this area. I think that this is a function of the potent strike force and spotted this at Millwall. If we know we have a goal in us, we are less crestfallen when there is a setback.
Our second goal did rock Sunderland in contrast and there was a five minute spell, including one Steele save and a block on the line by a defender, where it was just wave after wave of Town attack, and Knudsen was adept and stopping counter-attacks and keeping the pressure on them.
I don't know if there is a psychological link between confidence and alertness, but we were mentally razor sharp and the three second-half goals stemmed from this. I felt that Sunderland were mentally empty as the game wore on. They didn't react in the build-up to our goals and their attacks had a Jewell-like air of chaos and desperation about them.
SWGF's comment about McGoldrick blossoming after switching to the centre was spot-on. Celina needs a little more time and space now to operate effectively, whereas Didzy doesn't need that space. That said, he was everywhere last night, defending at left-back and screening Honeyman's run across the edge of the area.
Spence did manfully at centre-back but he is more comfortable in a wider role, and I think that Webster's return could elevate us again given how adept he is on the ball. If he comes back in full-flow then all bets are off.
The younger/newer players often show their inexperience and unfamiliarity when gifting possession away through naivety as much as anything. I would encourage Adeyemi to simply bomb forward with the ball if there is nothing else on. Garner does this, it commits defenders and is less risky than a speculative pass, but there is time for this to evolve.
Teams will work out how to counter us but this is their problem. We are over-reliant on Garner winning aerial balls up front - and he is brilliant at this - but threats are coming from so many quarters from us right now. You shut one down and two others pop up. Life can be brilliant at times, and last night was just a little bit of brilliant! | |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 12:15 - Sep 27 with 3736 views | SWGF |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 11:11 - Sep 27 by HarryfromBath |
Completely, completely agree with you Steve on all of this. The point about confidence which you make is nailed on and the contrast with last year is possibly most marked in this area. I think that this is a function of the potent strike force and spotted this at Millwall. If we know we have a goal in us, we are less crestfallen when there is a setback.
Our second goal did rock Sunderland in contrast and there was a five minute spell, including one Steele save and a block on the line by a defender, where it was just wave after wave of Town attack, and Knudsen was adept and stopping counter-attacks and keeping the pressure on them.
I don't know if there is a psychological link between confidence and alertness, but we were mentally razor sharp and the three second-half goals stemmed from this. I felt that Sunderland were mentally empty as the game wore on. They didn't react in the build-up to our goals and their attacks had a Jewell-like air of chaos and desperation about them.
SWGF's comment about McGoldrick blossoming after switching to the centre was spot-on. Celina needs a little more time and space now to operate effectively, whereas Didzy doesn't need that space. That said, he was everywhere last night, defending at left-back and screening Honeyman's run across the edge of the area.
Spence did manfully at centre-back but he is more comfortable in a wider role, and I think that Webster's return could elevate us again given how adept he is on the ball. If he comes back in full-flow then all bets are off.
The younger/newer players often show their inexperience and unfamiliarity when gifting possession away through naivety as much as anything. I would encourage Adeyemi to simply bomb forward with the ball if there is nothing else on. Garner does this, it commits defenders and is less risky than a speculative pass, but there is time for this to evolve.
Teams will work out how to counter us but this is their problem. We are over-reliant on Garner winning aerial balls up front - and he is brilliant at this - but threats are coming from so many quarters from us right now. You shut one down and two others pop up. Life can be brilliant at times, and last night was just a little bit of brilliant! |
The difference between Celina and McG playing centrally was that in the first 20mins Celina would get the ball, look up and see 10 Sunderland players ahead of him with no space to move into or dribble. Once McG was moved inside, he moved everywhere he was required and because we had Waghorn (and Adeyemi) to support Garner, he could do so without leaving Garner isolated.
Celina had more one-on-one opportunities when out wide, and also linked very effectively with Knudsen overlapping, esp in the first half.
I thought the formation suited everyone yesterday; was as balanced as I've seen us for a long, long time. I hope we stick with it for a bit, as it also suits those who were rested. | |
| |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 12:50 - Sep 27 with 3642 views | hoppy |
| Are You Not Entertained? — Reflections on Last Night’s Sunderland Game on 10:51 - Sep 27 by HarryfromBath |
Cheers everyone. Setting off from Colchester home now and I can still feel the adrenaline in the system.
Optimism and hope have returned, Illy, and they could hardly fail to after last night's heroics. I hope Yasmin had a superb evening Hoppy - I was looking out for her when the teams came out onto the pitch, she should have had a terrific time! I have edited the text, Rayman, as I got my Vaughans mixed up last night. Thank you!
KiwiBlue I went to the Greyhound and had a pint of Ghost Ship. Steve put me on to it a few years back and it is an immediate destination when I reach Town. I never thought I would have an Ipswich pre-match ritual, but one seems to be forming. |
Thanks Harry. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to get her a place for last night's game, so will be at a future game instead - they seem to be booked up quite a bit in advance. Probably just as well, with KJ being in hospital atm, she would've missed it. We had the pleasure of the company of BlueLagos for the game instead, as he was able to use KJ's ticket.
I hope you have had a good journey back, and as said before, do let me know when you are next making the pilgrimage to arrange a bit more of a meet up than just over a fleeting pint moments ahead of kickoff. | |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
