SUNDERLAND BLACK CATS V BIRMINGHAM BLUES

The footballing world’s eyes were firmly focused on Sunderland’s STADIUM OF LIGHT this weekend to see the soccer match up between two of football’s HEAVYWEIGHTS kick off their PREMIER LEAGUE campaigns, THE SUNDERLAND BLACK CATS V THE BIRMINGHAM BLUES. At 2pm the sides were announced, and yes both sides went with the traditional 11 professional footballers each. By 3pm we were ready to get under way and BOY was there excitement. The BLACK CATS wore a fetching red and white shirt, whilst the BLUES were in a smart little blue number.



The game began at the start and the home side looked the brighter of the two, with the man from the left side of defence, Kieran Richardson, steaming forward at any chance and the chap Frazier Campbell looking dashing up front. It was a Frenchman who struck the first chance, as Steed Malbranque shot wide after a Richardson pass. Malbranque had a chance again AND YES! But alas Steed shot wide again.

BUT WAIT! A PENALTY! Conceded by the Birmingham man Stephen Carr after he blocked off Campbell’s run, the referee points to spot. Darren Bent lines up. Darren Bent marks the score sheet! The cats ARE PURRING! Bent almost got the cream for himself moments later but spurned the chance to net the match doubler.



Controversy to follow! THE CAPTAIN’S CURSE! BLACK CATS skipper LEE CATTERMOLE forced to take an early long walk to the shower by referee Taylor after committing two YELLOW CARD OFFENCES. Cattermole off, SUNDERLAND DOWN TO TEN.

And so the referee calls time on a first half which saw ten men Sunderland Black Cats hold a goal lead. 15 minutes later, the teams are returned and the football resumed! ADVANTAGE BLUES? NO! A DISASTROUS moment for Blues back man Stephen Carr whose looping header sails over his goalkeep and into the goalnet. NIGHTMARE FOR BLUES! A fan runs on the pitch! It's going wild!! 2-0 BLACK CATS! A HOME WIN SURELY!? Don’t write football off just yet!



Fifteen minutes left on the match clock, Sunderland centre back Titus Bramble gives away the corner chance. AN EXPLOSIVE GOAL isn’t far away. The corner taken short, the ball whipped in, the cross connects, the header made, the goal scored! SCOTT DANN! 2-1! A game! The BLUES looked more like scoring as they pressed ten men Sunderland with chance after chance. AND SUDDENLY, a cheap free kick conceded, a cross by Larsson, another header, A GOAL! THE MATCH LEVELLER FROM RIDGEWELL! WHAT A GAME! The man in black makes full time a reality. Sunderland Black Cats 2 Birmingham Blues 2. Four goals, a red card and a penalty. What a start!

Sunderland	2-2	Birmingham	FT
(HT 1-0)
Bent (pen) 24 Carr (og) 56		Dann 77 Ridgewell 88

LINE UPS

Sunderland
22 Mignolet
03 Richardson YC
05 John Mensah
15 Onuoha
19 Bramble
06 Cattermole YC, RC
08 Malbranque (Riveros 63)
10 Henderson
27 Al-Muhammadi (Waghorn 90+2)
09 Campbell
11 Bent YC (Welbeck 83)

Substitutes
24 Carson,
02 Bardsley,
14 Da Silva,
07 Zenden,
16 Riveros,
17 Welbeck,
26 Waghorn

Birmingham
26 Foster
02 Carr YC(Gardner 65 YC)
05 Johnson YC
06 Ridgewell
15 Dann
04 Bowyer
07 Larsson
12 Ferguson
18 Fahey (McFadden 46)
10 Jerome
11 O'Connor (Zigic 57)

Substitutes
01 Taylor,
03 Murphy,
21 Parnaby,
08 Gardner,
17 Marcos Madera,
16 McFadden,
19 Zigic


HOW 'BOUT SOME HIGHLIGHTS!