Talking Points: Sunderland bitten by the Lions as two points are squandered

Today at 02:01 AM

The Lads looked set for a gutsy victory at Millwall before conceding a late equaliser. Phil West looks at the game's main stories

Sunderland do the hard work before letting it slip

When Aaron Connolly opened the scoring by crashing a strike past Lukas Jensen after superb work by Dan Ballard, Sunderland found themselves in a strong position despite a raft of injuries and suspensions that had almost completely overshadowed the build up to this game.

In a strange affair that was suspended for some time following medical emergencies in the stands, the Lads were showing plenty of verve and spark, with Tommy Watson and Eliezer Mayenda in particular providing ample threat from the wings and Connolly doing plenty of good work in the number ten position.

However, just like we did against Coventry, we began to drop deeper after the break, with our approach becoming increasingly passive, and you got a sense that it was only a matter of time before the hosts grabbed a goal of their own, which they eventually did after we botched a chance to make it 0-2, with Finn Azeez getting his name on the scoreboard after a swift, incisive Millwall counter.

Is game management becoming more of an issue? Are we seeing doubts creeping into the players' minds about their ability to see it through? We've dropped key points in two successive games and although we remain in a strong position, the recent buzz feels like it's faded somewhat after four mediocre results.

We can take issue with Régis Le Bris' use and timing of substitutes whilst second guessing what he's saying at half time, but the players really need to show the same amount of conviction in both halves of games if this mini-wobble is to be nipped in the bud, starting with Tuesday's visit of West Bromwich Albion.

Chris Mepham marshals a reshuffled red and white defence

Regular visitors to Roker Report will doubtless be aware that our writers have been praising the on-loan Wales international to the hilt, such has been his impact since joining from Bournemouth, and at The Den, Mepham strode through yet another Championship game with impressive ease.

He's such a classy operator and in the absence of Trai Hume and Dennis Cirkin, his calmness, class and positional awareness were worth their weight in gold, and despite the frustration of conceding a late equaliser, you could hardly fail to be impressed by the Welshman's performance- as well as encouraged by the return of Aji Alese.

In an ideal world, we'd sign him on a permanent deal should promotion be achieved, and he could be one of the key components of our defence as we made a return to the Premier League.

That's a discussion for another day, but for now, it's reassuring that we can call on such a capable defender, and he seems to be relishing the chance he's been given at the Stadium of Light.

Mixed fortunes for Sunderland's young starlets

With a raft of injuries and suspensions forcing Le Bris into something of a reshuffle, it opened the door for some of our exciting young talents to show what they can bring to the table, and in general, the results were promising.

After something of a false start at Deepdale before the international break, Tommy Watson looked much more at home in his natural position and was always eager to get on the ball and drive at the home defence. It was a far more promising display from the current U21 star, and definitely something to build on.

Introduced in the second half, summer signing Milan Aleksić showed some nice touches and made a particularly thumping tackle, and although he missed a wonderful late chance to make the game safe, it would be harsh to blame the concession of two points on him.

He's making his way in red and white; he's clearly talented, and it was good to see him get a decent amount of minutes under his belt. Aleksić is clearly viewed as a prospect for the long term, and will doubtless be carefully managed as he continues to settle into life at the Stadium of Light.

A big but not definitive week awaits

Victory at Millwall would've set up the clashes with West Brom and Sheffield United perfectly, but although we'll head into them after letting another two points slip, there are reasons to be optimistic.

Albion's visit to Wearside will coincide with the return to action of Jobe, Patrick Roberts and Trai Hume, all of whom missed the trip to South London through suspension, and it'll give us a little more breathing space in terms of selection for the game against Carlos Corberan's perennial playoff chasers and Chris Wilder's imposing Blades.

Four points from the next two would be a good return and would give our promotion credentials a real boost after some sub-par recent results, but with the league so open and those behind us more than capable of assuming our position at the summit of the table, we can't afford any slackness over the next seven days, and this is the kind of challenge that Le Bris has yet to really face since taking the job.

Hopefully we can keep ourselves ahead of the chasing pack.