Unlucky with their goal, but I understand that Stoke playing well (despite our possession). So start again all square and see who is the better team.
Thank Christ we're level, can start fresh now and hopefully with the wind now in our favour (Seems so bizarre to count it as a factor, but it really is) can crack on. I wouldn't have been too disappointed with a draw before the game but after that goal, I'm desperate for a win just to dampen the embarrassment.
I think Stoke have found a decent counter for our pressing game - press us back. However it's very unlikely that they have the fitness levels to match us and running against the wind next half they will surely tire, I'd expect us to take control of the second half. We looked shell shocked for the first 15 minutes, but then slowly gained our usual dominance and finished the half strongly.
So Sunderland's first half: an own goal, two red cards, and their keeper's had to come off. MOTD is going to be amazing.
What a strange couple of goals. Stoke's was a maybe-once-every-5-seasons freak and J-Rod's was almost as funny. A header so bad it was good! Pleasing we got back into the game and very pleasing we managed to get that equaliser!
