Sunderland 1-1 Swansea
by Roger Domeneghetti
at the Stadium of Light

SUNDERLAND grabbed a point against Swansea with a much improved performance on Saturday, but manager Dick Advocaat had a stark message for the club’s owner Elis Short. “We definitely need players,” he said. “If we don’t get players in, then we are almost the same team as last year.

“We still need two or three in good positions to get competition in the squad during the games and in training so they don’t feel easy. For some, they think that it is easy.”

Perhaps one of those is Patrick van Aanholt, who was a liability at left back in Sunderland’s last two games. Again, his error exposed the team and let the opponents score.

Deep into first half stoppage time van Aanholt, way out of position in the centre circle, was turned by Andre Ayew who released Kyle Naughton into the left channel vacated by the Sunderland player.

Naughton powered forward before finding Bafetimi Gomis who slotted home. It was harsh for Sunderland who had worked hard and deserved to go in level.

Had Swansea scored the second goal they were threatening at the start of the second half, Sunderland may well have collapsed to another soul-destroying home defeat.

Advocaat had Costel Pantilimon, who made a string of saves, to thank for keeping his side in the game.

Swansea themselves made a rare error and Danny Graham, who makes up in effort what he lacks in goals, started a counter-attack which ended with Jeremain Lens, finding his namesake Jermain Defoe who slotted home easily.

It was a sucker punch that left Swansea manager Garry Monk disappointed.

“Towards the end of the first half we got control, we scored the goal and then in the second half we were so dominant, we created chance after chance,” he said.

“If it hadn’t been for some unbelievable goalkeeping and one individual mistake, we’d have won.”

Sunderland felt they should have had a penalty when Jack Rodwell’s shot hit Ashley Williams’s arm but that would have been harsh on Swansea.

For Sunderland, it was a step in the right direction but there is still a long way to go.

“The way the majority of the players played, I was very happy about,” said Advocaat. “The only weak side is that they cannot do that every week, sometimes they need to do that using skill like Swansea. It looks a little bit easier, a bit simpler, that has do with quality.”