on seeing red

Our first game of an action-packed football weekend sees us at Bescot Stadium. My elder brother Bruce, a life-long Sunderland supporter, has come up to see his beloved 'Black Cats' take on Walsall. He's accompanied by the singularly mis-named, Curlie, pictured above next to my programme-clutching brother.

It's a cold, damp, grey Saturday afternoon. Pretty much the perfect setting for a League One November fixture.

Sunderland start brightly, forcing a flurry of corners during the opening quarter of an hour. Sadly, none of them are converted successfully to a goal. The momentum then changes when mid-fielder Max Power (yes, that really is his name!) is red-carded.

Max is, apparently, no stranger to the early bath, having been sent off twice this season already. It has to be said that to a casual observer it appears some fairly harsh justice has been meted out. At worst it seems a 50:50 challenge with both players going for the ball. Indeed an Appeal Committee concludes this to be the case just a few days later when the red-card is rescinded. However, the reduction to ten men changes the flow of the game decisively and now it's Sunderland with their backs to the wall.

They make it safely through to half-time, surviving both a disallowed goal and a shot that clips the post. The relief is, however, short-lived. Immediately after the break disaster strikes twice in just six minutes. First, a well struck cross is met by Walsall's Josh Gordon and it's one nil to the Robins.  Then just a few minutes later a thunderous shot from Josh Ginnelly flies into the top right-hand corner of the Sunderland net.

You might have thought 'game over', but no. Sunderland stick to their guns and after a prolonged period of pressure pull one back. Lynden Gooch puts in a good cross and it's met by a lovely header from Aiden McGeady. Gooch then goes on to score a goal of his own just before the final whistle blows.

Ten men on the pitch and two goals down, but Sunderland have refused to buckle! The return fixture in the FA Cup in a few days time, again at Bescot, could be a feisty affair!!