Sunderland make heavy weather of progress
SUNDERLAND continue to make heavy weather of any Premier League progress, despite having the cards stacked in their favour.
And although a point added to their tally yesterday at least means they're heading in the right direction, they were hoping for so much more yesterday against a side which came to the Stadium of Light simply hoping to survive.
Fulham arrived on Wearside tired by their midweek Europa League heroics in the Ukraine – a round trip of more than 3,000 miles – and fully aware that having won only one game away from home all season, the best they could reasonably hope for was to leave with the point they started the game with.
"I was genuinely worried," admitted Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson afterwards.
"We only got back in the early hours of Friday morning, and I thought travelling up to Sunderland might be a game too far for us."
Regardless of that, Hodgson fielded the same starting 11 which played against Shakthar Donetsk on Friday night – a brave decision with this being Fulham's eighth game in 26 days.
It should have been the cue for Sunderland to run the legs off opponents who would have known a long afternoon lay ahead of them.
But on just about every level, Sunderland failed to come up to scratch - Fulham allowed to dictate the tempo and pattern of the game as the Wearsiders struggled for any sort of rhythm.
Steve Bruce named a strong-looking side, which boasted the spine he has wanted to field for so long – Craig Gordon in goal, John Mensah and Michael Turner in central defence, Lorik Cana and Lee Cattermole in central midfield, Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent up front.
And the Wearsiders started strongly enough. Anton Ferdinand, playing at left-back in place of out-of-form George McCartney, put in a low cross which forced a corner in the second minute, and Alan Hutton with a good cross in from the right helped keep the pressure on.
Zoltan Gera gave his side some respite in the sixth minute with an opportunist chipped shot which drifted wide of Gordon's left-hand post.
But generally it was all Sunderland in the early stages, the home side enjoying the lion's share of possession and camping out in the Fulham half.
It soon became apparent though that Sunderland could just not find a quality ball into the box.
And the closest Sunderland came to posing Fulham a problem before the half-hour came in the 11th minute, when a corner from the left delivered by Richardson saw the ball bouncing dangerously around the box, until Jones nodded it straight into Schwarzer's gloves from just six yards out.
So uneventful were the opening 30 minutes that there was almost gratitude for the officious refereeing of Martin Atkinson whose three bookings in five minutes – Alan Hutton, Chris Baird, Kieran Richardson – at least gave the fans something to talk about.
Fulham's game plan was simple – defend solidly, waste time regularly and look to take the chance that would come their way occasionally.
Such a moment came in the 26th minute when a lofted ball from Gera saw Bobby Zamora get goalside of Hutton but head harmlessly wide.
It was just about Fulham's only attacking moment of note in the first half but Sunderland were little better.
The home team's first meaningful shot came in the 37th minute after a route one move saw Gordon's goalkick headed on by Jones, Bent play the ball back to his strike partner and Jones blaze high over the bar from 20 yards out.
The Wearsiders first real shot on target came in the 39th minute after Brede Hangeland's innocuous challenge on Jones gave them a free kick just outside of the box to the left of the Fulham D.
Darren Bent stepped up to a curl a goalbound shot around the wall but Mark Schwarzer had got his angles right and parried away the ball on his knees at the far post.
It was the about only real danger Sunderland produced in the drabbest of first halves but, to their credit, the fans did not get on the players' backs as they went in at the break.
They had been asked all week to be patient and they were, but their patience was not rewarded: Sunderland struggled to improve in the second-half too – plenty of possession but no penetration.
With 10 minutes gone and no signs of improvement going forward, Bruce acted in replacing Cattermole with Bolo Zenden – the Dutchman taking the left-wing and allowing Richardson to move inside.
Cattermole had given his poorest performance in a Sunderland shirt – his rustiness obvious, even if his enthusiasm was undimmed – and Zenden's arrival at least added some creativity to the midfield.
Almost immediately, Sunderland threatened with Hutton cutting in from the right to drive in a low shot which Schwarzer saved without much difficulty.
Seconds later, Bent curled a shot wide of the Aussie keeper's left-hand post.
Sunderland produced another attack a minute later with Jones and Campbell combining to set up a shot for Bent who drove a shot well wide.
But generally it was the same story as the first-half – Sunderland getting plenty of the ball but unable to stretch a well-organised Fulham side.
Increasingly and much to the annoyance of the home fans, the Wearsiders resorted more and more to long-ball punts but none showed any sign of working.
Growing in confidence, Fulham put together a string of unanswered passes in a slick and classy move as the crowd finally started to show signs of turning against their team.
But Zenden almost sneaked a goal in the 74th minute when a long ball from Gordon received a poor defensive clearance and the Dutchman picked up the ball, but only managed to slide it past Schwarzer and into the side netting.
With his side stuttering, Bruce brought on Benjani for Jones in the 80th minute – though removing the lacklustre Darren Bent or unimpressive Fraizer Cambpell might have been a better option.
Sunderland might have scored immediately on Benjani's introduction with the striker involved in the build-up which saw Zenden put the ball of the game across the six-yard box , only for Campbell to arrive too late and Hutton, at the far post, driving the ball into the side netting.
Arguably the best chance of the game came in the 86th minute with a bit of quality from Richardson to find Hutton on the flank.
The right-back's ball in fell at the feet of Campbell, but he fired over from 15 yards out with the goal at his mercy.
There were positives to be had for Sunderland – John Mensah was a class act, and Lorik Cana was back to his snappish best as the home team picked up a point and a clean sheet.
But more than anything, this was an opportunity lost again and their long-suffering fans know that the Bolton Wanderers game at the Stadium of Light next Tuesday is already taking on the look of a relegation six pointer.
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Weather for South Shields
Saturday 11 February 2012
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