Anthony Patterson delivers Sunderland dressing room verdict on Derby drama and 'unbelievable' performer

Anthony Patterson admitted Sunderland’s dressing room had been left baffled by the decision to disallow Wilson Isidor’s ‘goal’ against Derby County on Tuesday night.

Isidor appeared to have secured all three points for the Black Cats when he fired home in the second half, only for the referee to disallow the goal around a minute later after consulting with one of his assistant officials. That left Sunderland with a nervy ten minutes left to defend to protect the three points, which they were ultimately able to do.

Patterson had a key role in the win, making some key saves as Derby County applied some significant pressure to the Sunderland goal in the second half. While admitting that his side had dropped their levels a touch at the start of the second half, he praised the resilience of his team mates and the way they ultimately managed the contest.

“I'm not too sure what happened with the goal,” Patterson said.

“We'd been celebrating for a while and it meant we had to switch back on quickly for the last ten minutes. I think it picked their fans up again and gave them a real boost going into the last ten minutes of the game. We had to see the game out and I think we did that well. Even in the first half, I had to be alert in case I was called upon but nothing much came my way. The second half was just about maintaining focus and doing what I needed to do, keeping the ball out the back of the net.

“We knew what was coming and I think in the first half we were able to control the game through our possession, which meant that they didn't really having anything to work off. In the second half I think we took our foot off the gas a little bit, which allowed them to build some momentum through some corners etc. That then got their fans up. They grew into the game but I do think on the whole we defended really well.

“I think we picked it back up after the few subs were made and I think we probably had a little bit more energy. We were able to get up to the ball, close them down and make it more difficult for them to launch the ball into the box. It was one of those games where they made it tough for us to get pressure on the ball because when we did, they played it forward and played from there. So we're just really happy to get the win.”

Patterson also praised Eliezer Mayenda as he continued his excellent form with the winning goal against Paul Warne’s side.

“Eliezer from day one of this season, all the way through, has worked his socks off for the team,” Patterson said.

“You can see it paying off for him now, he's been unbelievable. He's a key part of our team.”