Tough fixtures caught up with Sunderland, says boss Jack Ross after draw



Posted Sunday, December 02, 2018 by PA

Tough fixtures caught up with Sunderland, says boss Jack Ross after draw

Sunderland boss Jack Ross felt a run of tough fixtures had caught up with his “leggy” side after they were taken to a replay in their second-round tie at Walsall.

The Wearsiders, now unbeaten in 15 games in all competitions, bossed the first half of the all-League One clash and deservedly led at the interval through Aiden McGeady’s back-post finish.

But Walsall striker and Newcastle fan Andy Cook fired the Saddlers level with a fine strike eight minutes into the second half.

From there, the Geordie forward could have sent Walsall through but his looping header hit the crossbar and he bulleted a header straight at goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin late on.

Ross said: “We didn’t play well in the second half and we looked, for the first time this season, a little bit leggy, which is maybe understandable given the challenges we have had to date, both physically and mentally.

“I’m pleased that we’ve continued this unbeaten run and pleased we are in the draw for the third round of the cup, but I’m obviously disappointed with aspects of the performance in the second half.

“My only criticism in the first half was that it became almost too straightforward for us because we were very dominant.

“The second half, we didn’t respond to the challenge but I’m going to defend my players just simply because of what they have given me of late.

“They have been very good and they have a lot of demands placed upon them and this was the first time I thought it caught up with them a little bit.”

Walsall also drew 2-2 at home to Sunderland in the league a week earlier and boss Dean Keates hopes the results will give his young side a morale boost.

Keates said: “It needs to give them confidence. They are a young squad, I’ve said that a lot. But they need to start having a little bit more belief in themselves.

“Every week they understand that we are rarely favourites to win a football match. But we can be unfancied.

“That is what we are as a football club. But we showed against Sunderland we have nothing to be scared of.

“We spoke to the players at half-time and just told them to play with a little bit more belief in themselves.

“We were very tentative in the first half. Second half, we looked a lot more like ourselves.

“I think on the second-half performance we did well and maybe could have just shaded it and come away with a victory.”

On Cook, he added: “He’s a Newcastle fan, he’s a Geordie lad and he will take great pleasure in that. He was outstanding.”

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