I watched Sunderland's last-gasp draw with Bristol City and here are four key conclusions I drew

Sunderland drew 1-1 with Bristol City on Tuesday night thanks to a stoppage-time equaliser from Patrick Roberts.

Phil Smith was at the Stadium of Light reporting for The Echo and here are his key conclusions…

A DESERVED POINT AT THE END OF A TOUGH SECOND HALF

Régis Le Bris delivered a clear verdict in his post-match press conference, arguing that his side had deserved the point even if it had quite clearly been a night of frustration for those of a red-and-white persuasion.

The underlying statistics from the game certainly vindicated that view. Sunderland produced an expected-goals tally of 1.68 to Bristol City’s 0.48, with 21 total shots to seven. With five shots on target to two, the home side were clearly the more dangerous and to lose the game would have been a harsh reflection of their performance level.

They were also unfortunate, undoubtedly, that Tommy Watson’s injury slowed their momentum midway through the first half just as it looked as if they might be about to overwhelm their opponent. Not only did it slow the game down, but it forced a tactical rethink that took away from the major threat they had been offering down the left flank in the early exchanges.

Still, there was no disguising that this was a night on which Sunderland were short of their best. Even when on top they struggled to flood the box and turn dominance into clear chances, and they were second best for the vast majority of the second half. Bristol City’s two half-time changes seemed to give them added impetus and energy, with Sunderland increasingly looking as if they had run out of both legs and ideas.

That Sunderland were able to preserve their unbeaten home record despite that visible fatigue is a positive reflection of the character and spirit of perseverance within the squad, and a first goal from open play for Patrick Roberts in a long time was a welcome tonic on which to end the night. But the ongoing struggles to put away teams who defend deep, as well as the increasingly hard to ignore fatigue in areas of the squad, will give Le Bris much to ponder ahead of the long trip to South Wales this weekend. Win that, and it will have been a very positive week and this goal from Roberts will gain an even warmer glow. To make that happen, Sunderland will have to step it up a gear.

ELIEZER MAYENDA FURTHER SHOWCASES HIS PROGRESSION

It doesn’t always come off for Mayenda and he does lose the ball on occasions, but his willingness to be direct and take players on is marking him out as a real impact player for Sunderland. He started the game so brightly on the right and though playing off the left doesn’t really suit him or his team, it was a case of needs must after Watson’s injury and he still found a way to be Sunderland’s most dangerous player.

Most of Sunderland’s best moments came from Mayenda taking a risk in possession and it is a mark of his rapid progress that he is beginning to threaten not just in moments but consistently through the games in which he plays. The goals and assists aren’t yet flowing but it increasingly feels like a matter of time, while his willingness to take on new roles and his tactical aptitude to make them work bode well for the future.

LE BRIS LEAVES THE DOOR AJAR FOR AOUCHICHE

It’s hard to imagine that this impressive cameo, which of course culminated in the crucial assist for Roberts, will do too much to change the trajectory of Adil Aouchiche’s Sunderland career. Formerly a Ligue 1 regular he is unlikely to settle for a bit-part role and once the likes of Alan Browne and Romaine Mundle return, his game time will be squeezed again. That’s before Sunderland recruit further in the final third, which is their clear priority.

Sunderland don’t really play with a number ten, and it appears that Le Bris does not feel the 22-year-old is disciplined enough to play as one of his ‘eights’. Hence why his recent minutes have come out on the left wing. Is it a long-term solution for a player whose game has never really been about dribbling and pace? Probably not. But it is asking something different of the opposition defence late in games, and Aouchiche’s willingness to take risks can be key in situations such as this.

Aouchiche has won a lot of praise behind the scenes for getting his head down despite falling well down the pecking order, playing in the U21s and applying himself diligently.

He still looks set for a January exit but if Tommy Watson is out for a while, then Le Bris is going to need him between now and then. Could he force a rethink? On this evidence, it’s not completely out of the question.

MORE EVIDENCE OF A MINI-TACTICAL ISSUE?

While Le Bris felt this was more evidence of the need to improve Sunderland’s attacking play around the opposition box, an issue he was well aware of coming into the job, the second half also suggested that there is work to do against a specific approach from the opposition.

Liam Manning switched to a back three at half tie, frustrated that his side were struggling to apply any pressure on Sunderland in possession. The move allowed him to get another play high up the pitch to disrupt Sunderland playing out from the back. As such, they struggled to move it into the wide areas and build those triangles as they so effectively do at their best.

We have seen this before this season, most notably at Watford and Preston North End. Both of those sides played with a back three, and forced Sunderland into mistakes by cutting out their passing lanes from the back. Food for thought for the Sunderland head coach.