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Wearside went to Merseyside for the first time since the Dead Sea just felt a bit poorly, and announced a couple of changes, with BB getting a deserved start, and came away with a well-deserved point that could so easily have been three if: 1) Issy had popped away that chance and/or 2) VAR had spotted the handball in the build up to their goal. Still, I'm more than happy with what we got and it's a measure of how far we've come that a draw at Anfield was the least we deserved. Never mind that it got a bit Alamo towards the end, defending that sort of stuff comes with the territory and we're bloody good at it.
It had started poorly with my train from Bishop being cancelled - apparently I could have used any later train to catch the connection to Liverpool that left 20 minutes before the one I missed got to Darlo. Doh!
A nice meet-up with Burnsy (a mag, but OK and useful Merseyside guide) had to take place in The Vines by the station as our original venue was being used to film Boys From The Black Stuff, the reunion. Ask her dad. That preceded a pretty scary bus to Anfield and some madness in the Arkles - almost London prices - as that team news arrived...
Hume Mukiele Ballard Alderete Reinildo
Xhaka (c) Sadiki
Talbi Brobbey Le Fee
And a bench of: Patterson, Geertruida, Isidor, Neil, Adingra, Mayenda, Traore, Mundle, and O'Nien. Wowser - just imagine Luke at Anfield!
Thankfully I gave it plenty of time to get into the theatre that Anfield has become, as there were more polis than I've seen at a match and even more stewards. I remember when it used to be a football ground.
Anyway, having missed out (deliberately) on Father Ted, the singing vicar, in the town, we'd made up for it in the Arkles then navigated those security measures into the extended Anfield End, and boy were we in fine voice. In our suspiciously Evertonian away kit (wind them up? Us?) we defended that Anfield End and they set things away, with Brobbey getting straight into things up front. We had an early long throw on our right but they'd obviously heard about Nordi and snuffed it out.
Roefs quickly prompted the "Roefs on fire" business with a good take under pressure, then there was no card for a naughty block on our man - oh, ha'way man ref! To be honest, most of the dangerous stuff was happening at the Kop End, which kept the perfectly scarfed Scousers quietly in their seats for most of the half. Hard to believe, really, but this is us and this is now, and we're up for anybody. Ha'way! After an open and entertaining first 20 there was applause for Jota which we were more than happy to join in with. It's only a game, after all.
Alderete had a shot saved, before a Liverpool corner on our right which we dealt with, then Brobbey tried an acrobatic thing that was cleared before Hume, playing as a sort of wingback, tried his luck but the effort was tipped onto the bar. If this sounds a bit like all Sunderland it's because it just about was, as we kept the Reds at bay. Szoboslai (other spellings are available) drew a good save from Roefs at the expense of a corner - which we dealt with. Mac Alister did hit the post, but I've a feeling Roefs would have kept it out had it been on target. In the single added minute the home side had to deal with an Enzo corner and the half ended with us having probably been the better side.
Which is nice.
We made no changes, they brought on some knacker called Salah and immediately looked more urgent than in the first half. Enzo looked to have been strongarmed off the ball and was carded for his response and Reinildo responded with a fabulous tackle. Our mercurial Frenchman then put a free-kick from a promising position over the top, and we had to put in some of those tackles for which we're getting a reputation to keep Roefs' protected. Mind, when they did get through he was there to stop anything they could fire goalwards. Alderete, who's supposed to be a defender, but had seen his first half overhead kick saved, was putting himself about in their box and headed against the post, just to show that we weren't there to sit back and hope for something. Issy replaced Brobbey on 62 as we looked to freshen things up.
Twenty minutes into the half, Enzo fed Talbi (he's in your head, in your head, Talbi, Talbi, Talbi...) and he had a pop from distance, with the shot taking a touch from Van Dijk's big fat backside and flying in. Oh Allison, you know my aim is true! Cue mayhem in the away section as we sniffed three more points in our quest for world domination.
With the home side getting desperate, they piled forward but we stood firm.
With a shade over ten to go Gerty replaced a tiring Enzo, adding beef to our hard-working back line, but then came the bit of luck Liverpool had been seeking, as Wurtz tried a shot that hit Nordi and left Roefs unable to readjust. Bah.
More Liverpool pressure was dealt with, seven added minutes were announced and we screamed for the winner. On came O'Nien for Talbi to protect what we had, and we so nearly got it when Roefs pinged one, Pickford-like, into the path of Issy, who raced goalwards and clipped it past Allison only for Chiesa to clear. So close, so close....
A point from Anfield? I'll take that.
There was some really good, realistic, craic with a Liverpool fan on the bus back to town, discussing where and why they're not working and why we are, and my shirt drew a round of applause in the Brewery Tap as the point was celebrated. I just caught the tail end of MOTD - not our bit, unfortunately, but that can wait for repeated viewings.
Man of the Match? Enzo was sparkling again, Xhaka was Xhaka, and Omar was/is an absolute beast. However, I'll give it to Reinildo for those tackles and for making Wirtz look like a Sunday morning winger for most of the night and keeping Salah in a safe place.