Phil Smith's verdict: Alex Neil is making progress on his key Sunderland priorities - but time is against him

The first was to fix a defence that was posting the kind of numbers that had seen Sunderland’s automatic promotion push ebb away, and which threatened their chance of making it to the play-offs.

The second, which he had initially grasped the scale of but quickly did so as his side laboured to a draw at AFC Wimbledon the day after he took charge, was to try and get some kind of stability across the playing group.

To find a way to ease the burden on a batch of talented youngsters who had probably been asked to do too much, and to get up to speed some very talented January arrivals who were nowhere match fitness.

On both fronts, the evidence is increasingly positive and it should have delivered three crucial points here at Sincil Bank.

This was Sunderland’s fourth clean sheet in five games, and Michael Appleton’s side had barely registered a shot from open play until the contest became more open in the latter stages.

By that point, the Black Cats should already have been out of sight.

Neil has taken charge of three away games since that draw at Plough Lane and he is yet to see his side concede in any of them.

In the aftermath of that 6-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers, the fifth time this side had shipped three goals or more on the road this season, such a statistic would have been hard to believe.

That the last two performances have also seen Sunderland fail to score would ordinarily lead you to ponder whether Neil had turned the dial too far back in favour of defensive solidity. Except this 90 minutes, as had been the case at The Valley, suggested the balance of the side right now is pretty good.

It was another unusual line up, Lynden Gooch and Jack Clarke at wing back with Carl WInchester and Dennis Cirkin again in as centre-backs either side of Bailey Wright.

The performance, though, was assured.

Sunderland started well, pressing effectively and finding a lot of space on the counter.

They continued in that vein throughout the contest, aside from perhaps one spell before half time when they went a little flat and one period towards the end when the game became more stretched than they might have liked.

Neil took responsibility for that afterwards, saying that he felt that an open game would suit his side as they searched in vain for that elusive goal. Realising that even a point was beginning to be at risk, he changed it again and Sunderland finished the game in the ascendancy.

The missed chances were myriad, part bad luck and part poor finishing.

Jack Clarke twice went close in the first half, and missed a glorious opening in the second.

Corry Evans hit the post, and forced an excellent save from Jordan Wright late on.

Jermain Defoe came within inches of scoring his first goal since returning to the club, before Wright produced one of the saves of the season to deny Ross Stewart with seconds left on the clock.

Neil, justifiably, could point to strong individual displays all over the park as evidence he is now making major inroads into that second big hurdle he was initially presented with.

Dennis Cirkin has improved markedly over recent games, confidently striding forward with the ball here. Dan Neil and Callum Doyle have had the chance to rest and the January additions are getting better.

Patrick Roberts was lightyears ahead of his opposition markers for 90 minutes here, constantly finding space and opening up the pitch with good, quick decisions in possession.

It was a breakthrough performance from the former Celtic winger, who looks ready to make a major impact after that initial battle to reach something resembling match fitness.

Neil is not one for hyperbole so it was telling that he referred to his winger as a ‘little magician’ afterwards.

If, as expected, Nathan Broadhead and Alex Pritchard are fit to return after the international break, then there is reason aplenty to be optimistic of a strong end to the campaign.

Yet Neil was in no mood to be particularly bullish in the aftermath of what was undoubtedly a poor result in the scramble for a play-off place.

Yes, results elsewhere means no ground has been lost, but Neil also recognised that this was therefore a significant opportunity for his side. One that for all their good play, they ultimately weren’t able to take.

This is the battle Neil knew he was always facing, to find stability while knowing that this could be the most competitive battle for the play-offs in over a decade, making every result absolutely crucial.

It’s why even as a head coach who believes the key to consistent results is in good performances over an extended period of time, he would happily have walked away from a shocker here if it had yielded a 1-0 win.

After the international break they will face 7 games in 28 days, and the bottom line is that they will likely need to hit top-two form to secure their shot at promotion via the play-offs.

It is by no means beyond them, but they cannot afford many more days when the killer instinct proves elusive and valuable points drift away.

Neil is making progress, without a doubt, but time is increasingly against him.

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