Gillingham boss Steve Evans questions Sunderland's FA Cup excuses after dire defeat

The Black Cats were without ten first-team players for the trip to Priestfield, with both injury and international call-ups leaving Phil Parkinson with a depleted squad.

But Evans feels that his own absentees – ex-Sunderland striker Mikael Mandron and defender Tommy O’Connor – represented a greater loss than those players missing for Sunderland.

However, the Gillingham chief has backed Parkinson to bring the best out of the Black Cats’ ‘outstanding’ squad and seal a return to the Championship.

“You just have to look at the quality that they are bringing on from the bench,” explained Evans, speaking to Kent Online.

“They can bring people like Aiden McGeady on. They are just outstanding players.

“The reality is that they were missing the two McLaughlins and I don’t even think the goalkeeper would have played, I think Lee Burge would have played anyway, after McLaughlin’s mistake against us.

"The right-back might have played and Luke O’Nien might have pushed forward.

“But I had Mikael Mandron missing (with illness) and I had Tommy O’Connor (away with Republic of Ireland under-21s), two players who would be starting.

“They would probably make us stronger, more than the two they had missing.

“But my problems are not Sunderland’s, they have a good manager, very experienced and I am sure they will turn around the poor form.

“They will end up in the Championship because they are a superb football club, with amazing travelling support.”

Evans was left incensed on the touchline in extra time as he saw vociferous appeals for a penalty turned down after youngster Brandon Taylor appeared to handle in the area.

In the end it mattered little, though, with the Gillingham boss believing his side were good value for progression across the two ties.

“I don’t know why we didn’t get it,” he said of the penalty.

“But I think we deserved to win the cup tie over the two games. We deserved to go through away at Sunderland (in the first game) and we certainly deserved to go through on Tuesday.”