Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat was a little happier with his team after they managed to pick up their first point of the season with a 1-1 home draw with Swansea.
Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat was a little happier with his team after they managed to pick up their first point of the season with a 1-1 home draw with Swansea.
The performance was slightly better than in the game with Norwich last weekend although the Black Cats did have to rely on keeper Costel Pantilimon who made some good stops to keep the visitors from taking all the points.
And striker Jermain Defoe was on target when he grabbed the equaliser after Swansea had taken the lead in first half stoppage time through Bafetimbi Gomis.
Sunderland were denied a penalty by referee Neil Swarbrick when the ball struck Ashley Williams arm in the area.
Gomis also saw another good chance saved by Pantilimon when he powered in a header and at the other end Coates had a chance to win it for Sunderland, but he headed over the bar.
Advocaat told BBC Sport: ‘It’s a much better feeling this time, 1-1 against a very good side. Swansea are a good team with good players, but the way we played with the spirit we showed last year, you can see that you will get results.
‘With a little bit of luck, if the referee had given us the penalty that was a penalty, we could even have won. But I can live with 1-1, to be fair to Swansea as well. ‘
He must be easily pleased then because I thought it was a crap game and could have lost it 3 or 4-1.
Pantilimon kept us in the game, no doubt about it