The Sunderland weakness Stoke City targeted as Alex Neil delivers verdict on win

Stoke City boss Alex Neil says he feels his side showed they have 'great potential' after a number of returning players played a key part in the 2-1 win over Sunderland.

Stoke came into the game just one place above the relegation zone but had a number of players back from injury for Sunderland's visit, including striker Ryan Mmaee.

Mmaee scored the opening goal, which Tony Mowbray felt should have ben disallowed for handball, and Neil felt his side showed they were a match for a 'very good' Black Cats team.

"(We’ve had a run) in terms of the teams we were playing and where we found ourselves with our squad, that fact we had 11 players on the pitch and some had previously had no time together on the pitch, some had maybe spent 45 minutes together," Neil said.

"I think you can see that we’re very much a team in transition. That’s frustrating for me because in the Championship you have to win games. I understand that.

“Our fans have been great with us against Southampton, Leicester and again today and I think they understand where we are as a club. It can sometimes be frustrating because you want your club to win every game, you want to be really successful, you want to push on and be further up the league and naturally we want to be further up the league than what we are.

“But I think we need to recognise where we currently are and that we do have great potential. I thought today for large spells, particularly in the first half, I thought we were very good. Then I thought again once we scored the second goal, for probably about a 15, 20-minute spell, I thought we were very good and probably should have finished the game off.

“Naturally Sunderland then piled pressure on us at the end of the game. We had to cling on but I think those games are the best ones to win. You need to really dig in and you come off with a real feeling of satisfaction.

"I thought today against a really good side I thought we were more than a match for them.”

Neil also said his side has tried to target Sunderland's lack of height at set pieces, after Luke McNally's headed winner in the first minute of the second half.

The Stoke boss was left frustrated with Daniel Johnson's delivery throughout the game, but it came good for the winner.

"I think that was his first good corner and the ball ends up in the back of the net," Neil said.

"So, yeah, his delivery wasn't great but the one that mattered ends up in the net.

“What we know Sunderland, obviously having been there, is that they have got a lot of small technical players and they're very good – very, very good – but naturally they don't have massive size across the patch, hence the reason they go zonal.

"If we can isolate somebody at the back post, which we did with Luke, then we can capitalise.”