Phil Smith: I watched Sunderland's draw with Preston North End and these were my four key conclusions

Sunderland were held to a 1-1 draw by Preston North End on a night not short of controversy.

Phil Smith was at the Stadium of Light reporting for The Echo and these were his four key conclusions from the game...

PRESTON LEAVE WITH FEW FRIENDS - BUT A POINT THEY DESERVED

It's fair to say that Preston left the Stadium of Light having not won any friends after the bizarre sequence of play in which three players went down simultaneously with injury, the game paused for around five minutes as the officials tried to pick their way through the carnage.

The irony was that it caused Preston two points in the end, they looked set to take the win and the pause only lifted a fanbase and team that looked to be running out of belief. That Ryan Porteous was off the pitch when Romaine Mundle scored a quite stunning equaliser was perhaps something approaching justice being done for one of the farcical sequences we have seen on Wearside in recent times.

A point was probably the most Sunderland deserved on a night where they delivered an uninspiring performance, and it should be said that the visitors were good value for the result. They played for the opening hour at least with a good blend of pragmatism and aggression, going direct to prevent Sunderland from being able to deploy their high press in the way they did so effectively in the early stages of the season and the win over Cardiff City just days previous. Out of possession, though, their approach was bold and went for reward when so many look to avoid risk. They went man-for-man in their marking and pushed right up the pitch, risking the threat of Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda in a bid to win the ball in an area where Sunderland didn't have enough players behind the ball.

It almost came off on a few occasions and though Isidor missed a golden chance just before half time when he headed wide, on balance of play the visitors deserved their goal and particularly as Emil Riis had missed two big chances before converting his brilliant, instinctive finish.

There's no doubt that Sunderland can be a brilliant team in an open, technical contest where the opposition invites the press - but there's growing evidence that they need to work on how they approach teams happy to be a bit more direct in possession. This was a good game plan from Paul Heckingbottom and leaves Sunderland with plenty to ponder.

UNDERWHELMING DISPLAY UNDERLINES THE PERILS OF 4-4-2

It's a combination that many fans have been keen to see more of and especially on home turf, but this game underlined why playing Isidor and Mayenda together doesn't necessarily mean more chances and more goals.

It was ironic that Riis's goal came after Le Bris had introduced Chris Rigg and reverted go 4-3-3, which saw Sunderland seize a much better level of control over the contest.

Earlier this year, Derby County boss Paul Warne admitted that he had watched Isidor and Mayenda cause all sorts of problems against Burnley and almost laughed at the pace and threat the duo offered. In truth, though, Sunderland had struggled to impose themselves on Derby that night and perhaps had been a little fortunate to win the game. Though the system delivered an excellent win against Sheffield United, it has also delivered some very underwhelming performances.

Over a period of time Le Bris's preference for a 4-3-3 shape has been vindicated, with the two-striker combination increasingly looking like it is best deployed when games break open in the latter stages.

Who plays as the sole striker when Sunderland play in a 4-3-3 is now starting to become an interesting question, with Mayenda again a real threat until his withdrawal in the second half.

CHRIS RIGG REST STARTING TO YIELD RESULTS

Rigg had an excellent impact after coming off the bench, getting on the ball and really bringing Patrick Roberts into the contest on the right flank. It was a reminder of just what an impact the youngster can have and hopefully a sign that he is rediscovering his best level after fatigue had understandably taken hold in the weeks previous.

Le Bris's pragmatic management over recent weeks looks like it is starting to produce results for the Black Cats, and the head coach will probably be hoping that he can do something similar with Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham before the campaign is out. Both have had a punishing workload of late but the potential returns of Salis Abdul Samed and Enzo Le Fee after the international break might open up some new possibilities.

ROMAINE MUNDLE'S RETURN COULD BE MASSIVE IN PROMOTION BOOST

Even aside from his goal, an absolutely beautiful strike, Mundle's introduction was massive in getting Sunderland back into the contest. Mundle has been steadily been building his sharpness since returning from a hamstring injury, and this was by far his best performance yet. The goal was the highlight of a persistently dangerous performance, in which Mundle beat his full back with encouraging ease.

Tommy Watson made his first start since his own serious injury in the game, and understandably looked short of the sharpness that Mundle has now been able to recover with more minutes under his belt. The injury situation has been incredibly frustrating for Sunderland this season but this is one area of the pitch where there are now some very encouraging signs.

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