Joint-record home defeat hurts - but Sunderland need calm heads and perspective

Sunderland suffer joint-record home defeat against Stoke City

Joint-record home defeat hurts - but Sunderland need calm heads and perspective

Tony Mowbray remonstrates with the match officials during the half-time break ofspan class=truncatespan class=truncate-preview Sunderlands 5-1 despan class=truncate-full-screenfeat to Stoke City/span/span/span

THERE are no expectations on this young Sunderland squad to achieve big this season. Its a message that Tony Mowbray has regularly expressed since taking over from Alex Neil in August.

And after watching his promising group ofBlack Catslose heavily to Neils Stoke City equalling the heaviest defeat suffered at the Stadium of Light by those in red-and-white shirts - Mowbray was keen to stress that message again.

Nor should there be over-expectancy, just praise for how impressive Sunderland have been with such an inexperienced group of players in the second tier of English football since leaving League One behind - transforming their style in the process.

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Yet performing so admirably this season, surprising many, Sunderland had put themselves into the play-off picture. Three defeats in a row have still left them just six points shy of sixth place, further highlighting how effective Mowbrays approach has been.

It is the first time this season Sunderland have lost three in a row and the latest defeat certainly looked the most damaging. When things went against them against Stoke, the confidence and energy seemed to disappear; can the youthful group find a positive reaction?

Norwich, Sheffield United, Luton and Burnley sides with promotion hopes are all on the agenda over the next few weeks. The only expectancy Mowbray has is for his players to dig deep and prove, once again, they can mix it with the Championships big boys.

Danny Batth, at 32 the eldest Sunderland player on the pitch against his former club Stoke, said: It is important we trust everyones ability after this defeat. The foundations of hard work and determination must be there - the fight you must have in the Championship season.

If we fall below that as a group then we have to look at ourselves and spur each other on. This is a talented team, with all the ability in the world, and we have to make sure the base line of the hard work, the graft, the honesty of those things are there too.

In every season you get tested in this division. You will be tested in so many ways, every team and manager will have a team of analysts, watching games back, analysing, looking at how we play.

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We saw that with Stoke. They were aggressive and locked on our midfield. They denied our midfielders to get on the half turn to play one-twos to get us forward. We have to be ready for that from other teams.

The first half was competitive and neither side had really tested the goalkeeper until the moment even if Stoke went on to win at a canter that changed the game four minutes before half-time.

Mowbray was disgusted by it. He felt the opening goal should never have stood after referee Jeremy Simpson handed possession to Stoke following a head injury to Ki-Jana Hoever, who was then allowed immediately back on to the pitch after treatment to receive a pass.

He pushed the ball forward in a free-flowing move that ended with Will Smallbone cutting back for Josh Laurent to hammer in the first goal of the game.

Mowbray entered the field of play to complain to Simpson after the half-time whistle and received a caution for his efforts. It got him nowhere and within seven minutes of the restart Stoke were on course for the comfortable win.

Tyrese Campbell tapped into an empty net after Smallbone picked him out following Dwight Gayles charge down on Dan Neils poor attempted back pass in the 53rd minute.

Five minutes later Campbell brilliantly curled in his second before Sunderland raised brief hope of a comeback when Alex Pritchard turned in Patrick Roberts low cross.

But Sunderland caved in. Gayle, who had never played at the Stadium of Light during his time with Newcastle, hammered in the fourth in the 68th minute and, after avoiding a missile that was thrown his way by the fans, the former Magpie had the last laugh when he scored his second 14 minutes from time by heading in Smallbones free-kick.

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