Let’s hope Grigg, McLaugh week – us fans have enoug
Saturday was one of the better days. Sunderland’s win against Walsall was, like virtually every other victory they’ve had this season, hard-fought and unlovely. But it was three more points in a season with too many draws: so who cares?
There isn’t much to mention about the game that wasn’t said after the wins over Plymouth, Bristol Rovers, Gillingham, Wimbledon, Bradford ...
It’s fair to assume that Sunderland aren’t going to dramatically improve in their remaining nine league fixtures. For a side with only two defeats from their 37 matches, it’s odd that they hardly ever allow their supporters to relax in a game’s closing stages by taking a big lead.
They probably won’t start walloping the opposition when they resume in League One on April 3. So let’s just hope they merely hold their nerve as they did against Walsall and at Barnsley, where they at least achieved the minimum requirement of not losing.
The Walsall win was perhaps more important than at first realised. There is a cavernous 18day gap between league fixtures. It was therefore the most welcome way to maintain morale in the meantime: especially with Luton and Barnsley dopping points.
Sunderland contest the Checkatrade final with its possible extra time on 31 March: the first of 10 games in the season’s final 35 days. Meanwhile the top two will have only six fixtures in the same period. Special effort is required at SAFC. They are at a disadvantage.
League One is a division where opponents have not been markedly scrupulous about how they might wring points from Jack Ross’ men (the Corinthian spirit of Wycombe Wanderers being a case in point) and where referees are weak.
Fatigue and injuries could provide the most effective opposition of all.
It is therefore pleasing that Aiden McGeady has been omit ted from Ireland’s squad for their two qualifiers in the next