Blues salvage point from the wreckage of the Mackem nightmare

In spite of the fact that Blues had to come from two goals down this was a big opportunity missed. Boss Mcleish started off by picking a side which was never likely to create anything and was never going to achieve anything more than a 0-0 score line. Steed Malbranque should have opened the scoring when England hopeful Bent miss-controlled the ball into the Frenchman’s path only to stab itwide.

Bent himself was set loose in Blues box with the best piece of play seen all match but having scuffed a penalty past Foster 5 minutes earlier he miss kicked badly and his shot bobbled ten yards wide of Foster’s right hand post.

Foster’s best save came when Ridgewell was nutmegged on the right by Henderson. The cross was fly hacked by the inept Bowyer and ricocheted at Foster’s goal. The new keeper did well to keep it out.

Johnson was guilty of dallying on the half way line and Campbell broke forward before Carr knocked him over. TV replays showed that initial contact was just outside the box but there weren’t many Blues fans behind that goal who though that the decision was anything other than spot on.

Blues went into the break 1-0 down without causing the opposition back line a moment’s discomfort. They were given a lifeline however on 44 minutes when the Sunderland Captain Catermole was dismissed for the fifth time in his short career. This was Sunderland’s 10th Red Card in less than a year and has to go down as one of the most brainless ever witnessed.

Firstly Cattermole almost took O’Connor’s head off with a right arm smash to the head. Not even the sight of blood pouring from the Scotsman’s eyebrows could fire newly promoted ref Taylor into action. Catermole then made it easier for the hapless Taylor by firstly grabbing Jerome and then kicking the ball away. That was two yellow card offenses but the Mackem got away with one.

The piece de resistance however was when Catermole hacked Bowyer from behind when the game had already stopped for an offside. Catermole had ridden his luck once too often and he went for an early bath with his manager Steve Bruce pleading that the ref had ‘picked on’ his Captain.

Blues, as they had done for most of the half looked on with incredulity. Mcleish reacted at half time by replacing the defensive minded Fahey with Mcfadden. Blues then set about methodically to score the two goals that would win them the game. Blues were able to play their more normal measured passing game. The plot thickened when Jerome was robbed of possession and the ball was hoofed forward. Carr who rarely gets beaten in the air won the header under pressure from Campbell but the ball looped over Foster and into the net.

The new guy Zigic was immediately sent on, albeit an hour too late and the game changed dramatically. The impressive Onuoha and the not so Bramble suddenly had a problem that they could not cope with. The Sunderland goal came under siege and each cross caused havoc in their back line. Zigic seemed to mesmerise the home defence and he found himself allowed the time to hit a pile driver from 20 yards which Mignolet did very well to push over.

Blues finally got on the score sheet when a short corner was whipped in by Larsson and headed firmly home by Scott Dann. Dann should have equalised when another Larsson pin-pointer gave him a free header but the former Coventry man headed wide. Blues equalised when Dann headed another Larson free kick onto the heel of Richardson, under pressure from Ridgewell. Ridgewell was awarded the goal which even he admitted was a surprise.

Blues could have wrapped up the points when the ball fell to Zigic but the Serbian giant could not quite wrap his left peg around it.

This was a game which the media seemed to think was entertaining. I’m sure both sets of fans were only concerned with the inadequacies of their sides; Sunderland’s lack of prowess in the final third and Blues lack of ambition.

Alex is cautious, we all know that but we cannot expect opponents to hit the self destruct button before we show any attacking enterprise. The older legs in the side are a worry. Carr couldn’t have as bad a day again if he tried but Bowyer has been awful for ten of the last dozen Premier League games while Gardner gas been outstanding in pre-season. In Zigic Blues could have something special, as he possesses a good touch a strong shot. It took three defenders hanging on to him to prevent him equalising and had Mr Taylor the ref not been afraid of upsetting Bruce any further a penalty would have ensued.

Second season syndrome occurs when sides don’t come up with anything new. Zigic is certainly new and Gardner would supply the energy which is often lacking.

On the plus side this was a point that we did not get last season and the table looks far healthier than it did this time last year. Also the Championship runners up are 5 goals worse off than the equivalent of last year.

Sunderland; Mignolet; Onuoha, Bramble, Mensah, Richardson; Mohamed (Waghorn 90) Cattermole, Henderson, Malbranque (Rivers 62), Campbell, Bent (Welbeck 82)

Blues; Foster; Carr, (Gardner 64) Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell; Larsson; Bowyer; Fergusson, Fahey, (Mcfadden 45) O’Connor, (Zigic 56) Jerome

Goals

Sunderland Bent (24 pen), Carr (56 og); Blues Dann (77) Richardson (88 og)

Yellows

Richardson 30, Cattermole 28 & 44, Bent 66

Carr 23, Johnson 71, Gardner 90

Att 38390

Ref A Taylor Had a shocker but should have dealt with Catermole earlier.

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