We won. That is the most important thing about tonight. Whether we played well or not, who played well, or what tactics and the like don`t really matter just now, because we needed to take maximum points from this game against Sunderland and we did just that, holding on for a 1-0 victory that pulls us four points clear of the trap door.
Zach Clough scored the only goal of the game in the 17th minute, turning in Filipe Morais` free-kick, which had been awarded by the assistant referee. Clough actually turned it in with his hand, but you`ll find nobody actually cares, except for the irrelevant opinion of Chris Coleman. Besides, Lee Camp could have done better with it anyway.
Phil Parkinson had drastically changed things up, playing effectively a 5-4-1 formation with Aaron Wilbraham up front, to the horror of just about everyone.
Unfortunately, Wilbraham couldn`t get near to the type of performance we had been seeing from Gary Madine prior to his departure, and from the 35th minute or so, Wanderers seemed happy to try and defend their 1-0 lead. It would be a long night.
We nearly made it 2-0 on the break though, however Adam Le Fondre, replacing Wilbraham off the bench, managed not to score, before Jem Karacan, who put in a great shift with and without the ball on his first start in months, hit the woodwork moments later.
Ben Alnwick has been in fine form and we ended up needing him again tonight, denying Callum McManaman late on and then being tested regularly in stoppage time.
In the end, we won. That`s all that matters tonight.
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