Jones's late header that gave 10-man Sunderland a home point against Fulham on Saturday – but Stokes could have made it a vital victory with an injury-time chance that Antti Niemi saved.

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The former Arsenal striker was handed the number nine shirt by boss Roy Keane this season, but has started only twice in the Premier League and only once as a striker.

Stokes said: "It was a good chance and we really could have taken three points.

"Grant Leadbitter played a great ball over the top and I pulled off the right back to get there. I tried to slide the ball through the keeper's legs and it came off his heel.

"I think I was a bit unlucky, and with the rebound as well because it was just out of my reach and I couldn't control it.

"I didn't take my chance. It was a decent save though, to be fair.

"Scoring then would have meant an awful lot to me. It would have been my first goal at home and it could have been the winner.

"I'd love the chance to play up front with big Kenwyne.

"He's winning everything in the air and is a great target, but not only that, he's great with the ball at his feet as well.

"He's been phenomenal since he came to the club and hopefully I'll get a few chances with him.

"If we can get on his wavelength and get people around him in support then he'll create a lot of chance for us and himself."

Sunderland were poor in Saturday's first half, Simon Davies putting Fulham in front with a free-kick on 32 minutes before Greg Halford's dismissal on 67 minutes left the home team needing another late rally.

Stokes said: "With the start we had, we have to be happy with any sort of result.

"We've been shooting ourselves in the foot in the last few weeks. Hopefully we can stop these silly mistakes.

"We're scoring plenty of goals, but if we can start keeping clean sheets, we should be fine."

Manager Keane got the reaction he called for after the interval with an improved second-half display that might have ended in an unlikely win, Niemi denying Leadbitter as well as Stokes.

The 19-year-old Irishman added: "The gaffer said at half-time that we had to liven up.

"There's not much he can do if we're being sloppy on the pitch. He told us to liven up and I think we did that and showed the quality we have in the team."