'Can be excited..': The one key positive that emerged from Michael Beale's final Sunderland game

Sunderland's defeat to Birmingham City proved to be another bruising afternoon in an increasingly chaotic campaign, Michael Beale leaving his post around 36 hours after the full-time whistle.

Beale had conceded that his team's shortcomings away from home had again been exposed, promising to reflect on why that was and also the lack of impact his in-game changes had ultimately made in a poor second-half showing. The head coach would later go on to address the furore surrounding Trai Hume and the handshake that never was, but his final words in his post-match press conference addressed the one real positive that had emerged from the game.

It's a key positive for Mike Dodds as he takes over as interim head coach, with one of his key players in Patrick Roberts facing at least a month on the sidelines. In his absence Beale had handed a full debut to January addition Romaine Mundle, and the winger was at the heart of a good first-half display. His excellent cross for Mason Burstow almost yielded an opener, before he won the ball back off Birmingham's defence and was denied Sunderland's second goal only by a superb, flying save from John Ruddy not long before half time.

Beale like most supporters had expected Mundle to need time before making an impact at Championship level, but spoke glowingly of his level in training and had his sense he was ready now confirmed by this impressive cameo.

"I thought he was very good in the first-half," Beale said.

"Naturally he tired because he hasn't played much football, but I thought he was very good in the first-half. He was playing against a very good player in Ethan Laird and that was a good battle. I thought in the first-half Romaine got the better of it, in the second-half, Ethan came into the game. He's really unlucky not to score and it's a fantastic save.

"I saw really positive signs and we're going to need it losing Paddy," he added.

"We were sat here last week thinking 'ah Paddy and Jack, in Romaine and Abdoullah we've got good options' and we've lost one of those straight away. There's a big opportunity if he can play at that level, if that's his baseline level and he'll grow from that, I think we've got a player we can be excited about."

Sunderland had been keen to sign Mundle in the summer but the winger opted to move to Standard Liege, and the Black Cats moved quickly when he became available in the January window.

"We didn’t anticipate him being available on a permanent basis, but when we sensed an opportunity, we moved quickly and decisively to make it happen - our ways of working and structure are a real strength in these moments," Speakman said at the time.

"This is an important step in Romaine's career following a spell overseas and we look forward to helping him settle, as he makes Sunderland his new home."

It was an afternoon that left Sunderland's play-off hopes in real jeopardy but Mundle's performance gives Dodds a player who looks ready to help get the campaign back on track.