Sunderland AFC news: Director sends eight-word social media message to Amad Diallo

The Black Cats fell a goal down in the 29th minute when George Hall converted a close-range chance for the visitors. Sunderland responded, though, as Trai Hume equalised on the stroke of half-time, before Amad put his side ahead 15 minutes from the end.

The hosts were forced to hang on in the closing stages after a red card for Dennis Cirkin, but managed to claim all three points. After the game, non-executive Sunderland director and Sky Sports presenter David Jones took to social media to react to Amad’s performance. He said: “What a season this lad has had @sunderlandofficial.”

David Wagner talks Middlesbrough defeat

Norwich City boss David Wagner has reacted to his side’s brutal 5-1 defeat to play-off rivals Middlesbrough in the Championship on Saturday.

The Canaries were 4-1 down at half-time at the Riverside Stadium and conceded again in the second half to dent their play-off hopes.

Norwich City are currently level on points (61) with Sunderland but are one place behind the Black Cats, who sit ninth, on goal difference after the heavy loss to Michael Carrick’s side.

“I don't like to speak about it, we lost 5-1,” he told Pink Un. “And I think if I now explain the [McCallum] situation, everybody has seen it. About 10 minutes earlier the referee stops the game and we put the ball out of play so that he can get assessed.

"And in that situation, this wasn't the case. But if I explain it looks like an excuse. And I don't like to search for excuses. The penalty incident (on Aarons) was a clear and obvious penalty. I think everybody knows this. But this is not how I like to behave.

“We were defensively, individually, in too many situations not focused and not concentrated enough. You have to defend your goal with everything, and we let the opponent play past us too easily.

"We didn't make the challenges or win the battles you have to do in dangerous areas. When you face an opponent with a very good offence you can be beaten heavily. Now it's all about us, to speak to everybody, and to show everybody what we have done wrong. And then to show that we can do it much better on Wednesday against QPR.

“We all, together, know that we are better than what we've shown in that game. And this gives you even more pain when you know there was something here for us, but not if we behave like we did in the big situations.

“Goals change games and we had two very good opportunities before they scored and we didn’t use them. Boro did and that is the difference.”

Sunderland are next in action against Neil Warnock’s Huddersfield Town at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening with three fixtures to play following the midweek clash.