TheExile

Seems unlikely now but with that game in hand hopefully it means they tear into Blackburn at the weekend

Just like fleetwood they waited ages to get one and missed two in a game

If we can be heading to Sunderland outside bottom three by a gnats whisker after these fixtures then I think that’s an incredible feat that had seemed close but yet so far away a few times. After Stoke, barely possible but Rotherham and Steve Evans was the wildcard alongside the Blackburn result. Needed both of those coupon busters. The feeling of being out of the relegation zone and just having to stay out rather the envisaged scenario of needing everything to go our way last day to climb out miraculously would be so good, even if we still need a result.

Both Bannan and Byers benefitted from being in a cm 3 in league one with Vaulks covering a lot of the uglier stuff. A step up and mainly having 2 cms in most games (even if a formation is fluid) has probably been too much for him. If Diaby had been fit and able perhaps it was different

Hopefully it’s in the back of his mind we are due a penalty 😅

WBA won’t be resting but it’s also good for us that Hull and Coventry are still in with a sniff as I think they play teams around us too. I’ve given up trying to guess who will win but you just want your rivals facing m teams with something to play for at this stage

With WBA next week if we cut out the early issues we had against Norwich then who knows. If we stay in the game, at home with a big crowd I always feel we can nick something. If a point was to keep us out of the zone before heading to Sunderland that would be dream scenario as tbh I thought if we ever got out the bottom three it would be in the second half at the SOL, like we did at Pride Park (or whatever it’s called now) very briefly

The players they brought on were odd ones. Maybe lacking options but they were all very young and against a packed defence they probably needed a Paterson and Smith of their own. Was surprised Szmodics missed that second one which was a key moment really

Imagine the feeling if we nick something. Would take a point if offered now and having to win at Sunderland

Until next week

Such a difference second half. So much braver, a lucky OG but we’ve suffered woeful luck for some time. Focusing on the break suits us much more and this win which I didn’t see coming (maybe a point) gets us back from that Stoke game. First time out the bottom 3! Nice to wipe the smug look off the face of Szmodics too who I like as a player but he likes to dish it out

Sweet counter attack. 😍

There is a whiff of that about it

Bit brighter end of the first half. Shows we will get a chance if we stay in the game. We have pace to get up the pitch so we don’t need to keep leaving the channels open. No one seems happy on the ball today so I’d be tempted to just “get it up the pitch” for the flick ons. We’d need smith and Paterson on though. Could see a set play being key

Yeah it was a good finish. Just a repeating issue in these games since Moore was manager. Get your nose in front and frustrate is fine by me. Rather that than leave big gaps