Ellis Simms’ frustration against Sunderland, Alex Pritchard chants plus an injury boost at Coventry

After the full-time whistle at the CBS Arena, Dennis Cirkin, Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham dropped to the floor while Trai Hume put his hands on his knees.

It showed the physical effort Sunderland had put in to claim a hard-fought goalless draw against Coventry City - last season’s play-off finalists.

Tony Mowbray’s side had to work hard out of possession, particularly in the first half when they saw less of the ball, while the game became more stretched after the interval.

Here are some of the moments you may have missed:

Ellis Simms’ frustration

Former Sunderland striker Ellis Simms was recalled to Coventry’s starting XI, after being named on the bench for The Sky Blues’ 1-1 draw at Swansea last weekend.

But while the 22-year-old saw an effort saved by Anthony Patterson just before half-time, it was a frustrating afternoon for the forward as he was replaced in the 70th minute.

Simms endured a tough battle with Sunderland centre-backs Luke O’Nien and Dan Ballard, while the striker’s frustration started to show in the second half.

With O’Nien sticking to the forward inside Sunderland’s box, Simms’ pushed his former teammate away to try and break free of his marking.

The visitors’ defence stood firm to keep their first clean sheet of the season.

An injury boost

Despite Patrick Roberts’ hamstring injury, Sunderland were able to bring midfielder Elliot Embleton and centre-back Jenson Seelt back into the squad.

Embleton has been sidelined since December after suffering an ankle fracture and significant ligament damage, while Seelt has been managing an ankle issue since joining the Black Cats from PSV Eindhoven in June.

Mowbray had admitted before the game the pair were unlikely to feature, yet clearly they have made significant progress.

Mowbray’s chant with Trai Hume

After starting with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jobe Bellingham once again leading the line, Mowbray made a triple substitution in the 71st minute.

That was after a chat on the touchline with Trai Hume, who subsequently moved into midfield when the changes were made and Sunderland altered their shape.

Niall Huggins, Alex Pritchard and Hemir were brought on in place of Bradley Dack, Pierre Ekwah and Abdoullah Ba, as the visitors matched Coventry up with a back three and wing-backs.

Huggins was operating on the right, with Clarke on the left, while Dennis Cirkin became a third centre-back alongside O’Nien and Ballard.

Alex Pritchard chants

Pritchard’s Sunderland future remains uncertain after Mowbray admitted he expects the playmaker to leave the club before the end of the transfer window.

The 30-year-old remains a popular figure among fans and players, though, and was interacting positively with his teammates during the pre-match and half-time warm-ups.

Pritchard’s name was also chanted by the away fans after he came on in the closing stages.

Lynden Gooch’s absence

While Embleton and Seelt returned to the bench, Mowbray was unable to call upon some of his other first-team players.

Lynden Gooch wasn’t named in the squad due to a minor hamstring injury, while Jewison Bennette had a back issue.

Both are expected to return to training next week.

Mowbray’s 50th game in charge

Next week will mark Mowbray’s first year in charge of Sunderland, while the game at Coventry was his 50th game as Black Cats boss.

Remarkably, the 59-year-old is the tenth-longest serving boss in the Championship.

His opposite number on Saturday, Mark Robins, is the longest-serving boss in the second tier after six years and five months at Coventry.