Phil Parkinson reacts to another frustrating night for Sunderland as they drop more points at Fleetwood Town

The Black Cats had taken the lead early in the second half when Charlie Wyke pounced on a defensive error to put his team ahead, but Callum Connolly pegged the visitors back with twenty minutes to play.

Sunderland have now won just two of their last nine games across competitions, and have not beaten a side with eleven players since a 1-0 win over Crewe Alexandra on October 20th.

Parkinson said he had 'felt confident' with his side's set up throughout the game, ahead of two crucial home fixtures against Burton Albion and Wigan Athletic this week.

Sunderland are now five points adrift of second, having played a game less than Peterborough United.

They are seven adrift of Hull City at the top of the table.

“When you take the lead, you expect to win the game," he said.

"It was just that very small period where we didn’t clear our lines properly and got punished for that. Were we under a lot of pressure prior to that? No.

"I thought we did the job really well in the first half. I pleased with how we set up. We were coming to a team that had scored five at the weekend.

"We were the better side and got the goal, and those periods where you’re inevitably going to have a bit of pressure, you’ve got to come through them unscathed. I think if we had, we’d have gone on to win the game.

“It was only a small period where we just didn’t really clear our lines well enough and it came back into the box, and it ended up in the back of the net.

"Apart from the first 30 seconds of the second half, when Camps has hit the bar and Remi has made a terrific save, I felt confident in the way we were set up.

"Getting the goal was great and we’re just frustrated we didn’t win the game. If we’d beaten Doncaster then tonight would be classed as a good point.

"But only taking the one point is frustrating.

"However, we’re still unbeaten on our travels and it’s been a great effort from the lads to come through the fixtures we’ve had and remained unbeaten away from home. We’ve just got to capitalise on that with our home form now, starting on Tuesday night."

Parkinson also said that he felt his side should have had a first-half penalty when Josh Scowen was tripped in the box.

The Black Cats had been denied a penalty for a similar incident at Doncaster Rovers a week previous.

“The one at the weekend, I spoke to Mike Jones and he said it was classed as the highest level of mistake by a referee," he said,

"They have a review on a Monday morning and it was categorised as the highest level of mistake. It doesn’t make us feel any better, but that was a ridiculous decision.

"Tonight, it was not as clear-cut, but in view of the penalty Max Power had given against him [against MK Dons], there was contact in the box.

"For me, that is a penalty. I felt the ref should have give it."

Parkinson had been asked about the growing pressure and discontent amongst supporters before the game, conceding that he felt there was 'more to come' from his Sunderland side.

After this latest frustration he defended his squad, and insisted that the salary cap rules introduced in the summer have 'levelled the playing field' in League One.

Parkinson said that games are going to be tight and insisted that his side would have to fight 'tooth and nail' for every point this season.

“They’ve recruited some good players," he said.

"If you look at the salary cap situation and see the players they’ve been able to get in, it’s a bit baffling. They’ve ended up with a good squad, but so have we.

"It’s not quite going for us at the moment in terms of seeing games through, but when you’re having spells where it’s not going for you, it’s important you come through unscathed and a point tonight after the last two results they’ve had is decent. After going one up it could have been so much better, but the lads gave us everything. Their effort, commitment and drive was excellent.

"It is frustrating but I can only say that games are going to be tight," he added.

"I know people think because of the stature of our club that we should be going three, four up all the time, but the salary cap has levelled the playing field.

"It has. And I still don't think in football generally there's enough understanding of that.

"We should have had the licence to go and get more players and improve areas, but that was what happened.

"Because of coronavirus, that went under the radar. Games are going to be tight, that's the way it's going to be.

"Other teams have equal ability to spend what we've been able to spend. We've got to fight tooth and nail for every point.

"I do feel to be unbeaten on our travels so far this season is a great effort.

"We know that some of those draws should have been wins, we know that. But I'm confident that if we keep doing the right things, we'll turn those draws into wins because there are so many good parts to our play."

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