I watched penalty agony unfold at Burnley but here's why I think Sunderland fans can be upbeat

Sunderland drew 0-0 with Burnley on Friday night after one of the most remarkable endings to a Black Cats game in recent memory.

Phil Smith was at Turf Moor reporting for The Echo and here are his four key conclusions from the game...

SUNDERLAND HAVE TO DRAW A LINE UNDER PENALTY DEBACLE

In hindsight, a different Sunderland player should probably have taken that second penalty. And in hindsight, Wilson Isidor probably shouldn't have gone in the same direction. Yet when you step back and put yourself in the position of those on the field, you can understand why things went the way they did.

Isidor is a huge character, who has proven himself to be an excellent finisher through his Sunderland career so far. When your striker wants the ball, it's not easy to take it off him. And from Isidor's perspective, his penalty record through his career to date has actually been very, very good. Most of the time, that has been by going low to the right. In a difficult moment, he stuck to what has served him well in his career so far.

Both bosses were quick to point out in their post-match press conferences that they were actually decent penalties, the end result being more about an exceptional display of reflexes from James Trafford. There's no doubt that Sunderland's penalty record this season means they now have something of a problem going forward, and that this was an error that could have significant ramifications for their campaign moving forward. Régis Le Bris confirmed afterwards that the scenario would be reviewed and the devastation in the Sunderland camp was obvious as they made their way out of Turf Moor.

It was heartening to see Isidor get such a warm ovation from the away end and his team mates at full time, though. His all-round excellence is one of the main reasons why the Black Cats are in automatic promotion contention and if they end up making it to the Premier League, he'll be an integral part of that. This was tough to take for all involved but Sunderland have to draw a line under it now. It's still all to play for this season.

A POSITIVE NIGHT FOR SUNDERLAND EVEN AMIDST THE DRAMA

It's also important that Sunderland don't allow the late drama to obscure the big step forward they took in this game.

Yes, Burnley dominated the early exchanges and would have taken the lead if not for a superb save from Anthony Patterson flying high to his right. But after that tricky opening in which Sunderland struggled to find their feet, it was a game of seriously high quality in which there was nothing between the two sides. Zian Flemming missed a big opening just after the break, but Isidor missed an equally promising one moments later. Sunderland's players showed they have the technical and tactical quality to compete and at times better one of the best sides in the division on their home turf, and it should cement their belief that they have every chance of making it to the top two this season.

Even when you strip away the two penalties, the statistics show that Sunderland were every inch in this game. Their XG without the two penalties was 1.27, significantly superior to Burnley's 0.69. They had 12 shots to Burnley's 9 away from the penalty spot, and three additional big chances to Burnley's one. The headlines will be dominated by the penalty drama but this was the night when Sunderland showed they could be a Premier League team next season, even if Burnley will fairly feel that this was a massive psychological boost in the race for the top two.

The biggest disappointment of the night from a Sunderland perspective might in the long run actually be a hamstring injury to Chris Mepham, which would be a major blow should it prove to be serious.

LE BRIS DESERVES CREDIT FOR BRAVE SECOND-HALF CALL

With the game finely poised midway through the second half, Le Bris sent a message to his players and his fans that I loved.

Chris Rigg was tiring and you could sense that it was time for a chance, but there were many ways in which Le Bris could have done so without taking any significant risks. Instead he backed Eliezer Mayenda to reprise his dangerous partnership with Wilson Isidor. It left space in midfield that Burnley could have exploited, but Le Bris showed he believed his side could win and that there was an opportunity to be taken. Instead, Sunderland's extra energy pushed Burnley back and they ended the game firmly on top.

It was another sign of the growing confidence in this group.

Mayenda, for his part, made a real impact and once again underlined the rapid development he has made in recent months. Especially after the arrival of Enzo Le Fée, it has been hard to see Le Bris turning away from his three-man midfield but it is increasingly clear that even the very best defences in this division hate playing against Isidor and Mayenda. He firmly bolstered his selection credentials here, and it was nice to see Sunderland being the team that finished the game in the ascendancy having so often had few options on the bench to turn the tide in games.

BURNLEY SHOW THEIR METTLE

While Sunderland performed very well, you could also see in this game why Burnley have been so difficult to beat at home and why their defensive record is so good. Trafford is a top performer at the level and their central defensive partnership has to be the best Sunderland have faced this season. In between the two penalty misses CJ Egan-Riley made a block that had to be seen to be believed, diverting Mayenda's goalbound effort wide of the near post.

Maxime Esteve produced a commanding performance throughout, calm in possession but physically powerful in his defensive duels.