Tony Mowbray issues 'proud' Sunderland verdict but makes stark striker admission

Tony Mowbray said he was proud of his Sunderland side for their performance at Millwall but admits they are badly lacking cutting edge in the final third.

Sunderland again dominated possession but again struggled to work the opposition goalkeeper, and were left trailing through Kevin Nisbet's goal.

A triple substitution early in the second half saw Sunderland play without a striker and the added experience of Bradley Dack, Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts made a visible difference. Jack Clarke's penalty eventually secured a point for Sunderland, though they were indebted to Anthony Patterson for some crucial late saves.

"I thought we pretty much dominated the game apart from the last ten minutes when we'd scored. You expect us to be putting much their goal under siege at that point but it was the other way around, if anything.

"But, and you've been watching us, we can control a game but we don't look like scoring a goal. They had isolated breakaways, I thought we dominated long spells without looking like we'd score. We had about 74% possession and and 27 shots on Wednesday, one goal from a set play. It was similar at Plymouth.

"We don't look like scoring - I think it's because we have inexperienced strikers who aren't really ready at this moment to play for our team, but they have to play and we are playing them. We are trying to develop them and get them up to speed to be able to be a striker in the Championship.

"Alex, Bradley... they're good footballers. I'm pleased with the team and proud of them, if you come to Millwall and let have them have any level of possession then they're going to put the ball in your box. They're going to have lots of opportunities if you let them, first ten seconds they're putting a long throw in your box. You have to stand up and deal with it, and Ballard dealt with Cooper amazingly well I thought.

"We controlled it without a cutting edge. Ballard maybe should have scored in the second half, Clarke obviously wins us a penalty. "Not enough shots, not enough end product."

Mowbray said he would keep giving young players chances, whether it be up front or elsewhere, but admitted that he is facing a difficult balance.

"It's not really my decision, the club wants to develop young players and for them to be given an opportunity," Mowbray said. "That's what I do, I give them a chance.

"My gut inside me [in the game] tells me that we need to change, because I want to win. That's the truth, I'm trying to develop young players to create value in them, give them good careers. Sometimes they're not quite ready but that's OK, they'll get game time, they'll get on the pitch to experience the Championship. I signed up for that, I bought into it.

"Here I am doing it, picking them, playing them. I'm comfortable with it but there you are at 55 minutes... and I want to win. We still aren't having shots, so I go with players I think I can turn it around. As a club we want to be bold and the young players have to be on the pitch to show they can do it, that's what we're doing."