I just watched Sunderland's frustrating draw - here's what went wrong and the bizarre sequence that saved a point

Sunderland missed a big opportunity to apply some pressure on the teams at the top of the Championship after drawing 1-1 with Preston North End.

In truth the hosts were well short of their best, the visitors worth a point after being rewarded for an aggressive approach. Sunderland had made changes to their side but they didn't come off in a poor opening hour from Regis Le Bris's side.

Though in the end, it might be a game best remembered for a quite farcical set of events shortly before Romaine Mundle's equaliser.

There would have been for many supporters a boost when the teams were announced, with Le Bris opting to bring Wilson Isidor back into the starting XI and crucially putting him alongside Eliezer Mayenda. If the hope was that the approach would lead to Sunderland cutting loose, the reality was very different.

Much credit for that was due to the opposition, with Preston North End opting for a very aggressive approach out of possession. They went man-for-man all over the pitch, and pressed Sunderland's defensive players when they had the ball. Though there was plenty of space for the front two and the wingers to threaten, it was the visitors who had the better openings when they won the ball high up the pitch. Only an excellent block from Luke O'Nien denied Brad Potts an opener, with Sam Greenwood wasting the follow up.

Sunderland's desire to play in behind and release their dynamic front two was understandable, but their habit of losing possession meant they struggled to build spells of pressure and possession deep in the Preston half. Sunderland got into good areas at times, but their execution wasn't there.

Preston would have been by far the happier of the two sides at the break even if Anthony Patterson hadn't been forced into too many saves. Having said that, the Black Cats should have gone into the interval ahead, with Wilson Isidor heading wide from a matter of yards after Trai Hume chipped in an inch-perfect cross.

Sunderland were fortunate not to fall behind in the opening stages of the second half, Preston wasting some big opening including when Riis burst through on goal following the home side's own corner. The Black Cats survived unscathed and ironically, fell behind in what was arguably their best spell of the game.

Uninspired by what had been a sloppy start to the second half, Le Bris made an early double sub as Sunderland reverted to a 4-3-3 shape. They immediately started to threaten and dominate possession, Chris Rigg bringing Patrick Roberts into the game over on the right flank.

Sloppy play allowed Preston to build an attack at the other end, however, where Riis atoned from his early miss by driving a brilliant effort into the far corner. Anthony Patterson had absolutely no chance.

Sunderland were struggling to get back into the game until a bizarre sequence of events fired both themselves and the crowd up. The referee understandably paused the game for an initial head injury, but a long delay ensued as two Preston players then subsequently went down injured. One sub was made, but another long pause followed as Preston got their next substitution ready. The delay continued and the fury in the home camp rose, with at one stage Preston set to resume the game with 11 on the pitch and another, who had received treatment moments earlier, waiting to rejoin.

The game finally resumed after the error was noted and with the crowd now firmly into the contest, substitute Romaine Mundle cut inside and fired a sensational effort into the far corner. Sunderland pressed hard for a winner, but their decision making in the latter stages let them down as their rally in nine minutes of stoppage time eventually fizzled out.

The Black Cats improved as the game went on but there was no doubt that Preston's performance deserved a point. On home turf, Sunderland just haven't been consistent enough of late.

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