Mixed emotions for Black Cats fan Adam
ADAM Johnson's family and friends didn't know whether to laugh or cry after he scored his first goal in a Manchester City shirt.
The 22-year-old winger came off the bench to snatch a point for his new club at Sunderland on Sunday and maintain their hopes of breaking into the Premier League's top four.
However, he later admitted that, while delighted to have played such a significant role in the game, he would rather have broken his City duck anywhere but at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland-born Johnson was a boyhood Black Cats fan and might very well have been playing his football on Wearside had Steve Bruce got his way when former club Middlesbrough decided to cash in one of their most successful academy graduates in January.
But City's millions gave them the edge in the race to sign him, and so it was that the midfielder found himself scoring his maiden goal for the club against the men in red and white, with many of his nearest and dearest sitting in the stands.
Johnson said: "If there was one place I probably wouldn't have wanted to score my first goal, it would probably have been here.
"But I am just thankful I have finally got off the mark because I am a Manchester City player now. But that's how it goes, isn't it? That's football."
Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon was in inspired form, and former Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy alone might have claimed a hat-trick.
Johnson said: "I said that to him after the game coming off, it was going to take something special to beat him. Especially in the second half, he kept some great efforts from us out.
"We probably dominated the second half, we pegged them back and we created a number of clear-cut chances. We probably could have nicked it if it wasn't for Craig."
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Weather for South Shields
Saturday 11 February 2012
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Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
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