Phil Parkinson reveals why Sunderland's win at Doncaster Rovers is just the start

The Black Cats dug deep at the Keepmoat Stadium to emerge as 2-1 victors, and Parkinson hailed a spirited performance from his side which halted their nine game winless run in all competitions.

“We came out fighting today,” he said.

“I thought the first 25, 30 minutes were excellent, then we dipped a little and gave it away cheaply for a little period.

“But in the second half I thought we were excellent, and it’s the best we’ve played since I’ve been here.

“We deservedly got the victory and we’re so pleased for the lads. They put a lot of effort in today and they deserve their reward.”

While results have gone against the club in recent weeks, spirits remained high behind the scenes at the Academy of Light as Parkinson continued to instil his message in the playing squad.

And he believes that the win in South Yorkshire is just the start of the club’s resurgence.

“The lads are buoyant, and I’m so pleased for them,” added Parkinson.

“It’s alright for me on the touchline, but on the pitch you have to show courage to keep playing when things are going against you.

“That’s what football is about. You have bad runs – even in promotion-winning seasons, I’ve been involved in a lot of them and you have dips.

“You have to find solutions to them, and today is the start of that.”

There were chants against the Sunderland chief during the 0-0 draw with Bolton, but there were no such qualms at the Keepmoat.

And now, Parkinson feels his side will keep on improving as the weeks progress.

“Obviously you’ve got to win games of football, but I’m confident we’re going in the right direction in terms of the shape of the team and the work ethic in the team.

“I feel we’ll get better and better in the second half of the season.”