'We're doing the right things': Bailey Wright's candid view on Sunderland's form and the dressing room mood

But the defender says the side cannot afford to let their heads drop after they dropped points on the road at Doncaster Rovers – given they are continuing to do the ‘right things’.

The Black Cats were in control for large spells of the clash at the Keepmoat Stadium, and took a deserved lead through Grant Leadbitter’s fine strike just before half-time.

And having kept their hosts at bay heading into injury time, Sunderland looked set for a first League One win since November 3 – until a moment of quality from Brad Halliday, coupled with some hesitant defending, allowed Fejiri Okenabirhie to stab home with barley 30 seconds left on the clock.

It led to a quiet away dressing room following the final whistle, with Wright admitting the side were left hurting after their late heartbreak.

But the Australian, who captained the side in South Yorkshire, is keen to ensure that moods do not dip dramatically – particularly given that there were undoubtedly some positive elements to take from the game.

"We're hurting in there,” admitted Wright.

“As a group we pride ourselves on winning games and I certainly felt the performance was there and the quality was there throughout.

"As we all know, football can change quickly and you have to be ready for these things. Sometimes you can get a punch in the nose, sometimes they come at the same time, and we have to pick ourselves up - which we will do, because we've been doing a lot of good work.

"It hurts not to come away with the win, but that's football.

"You lose sleep over it, that's for sure,” he continued.

"It eats you up, it really does.

“When you win a game you're buzzing and on top of the world, and when you lose or draw in the manner it happens it's frustrating.

"We've limited them to very little as an eleven. We defended well and limited them to very little, against a side that's normally free-flowing in the way they play.

"There's positives to take, it's frustrating the manner it happens, it won't be the last time this happens in football, we all know that. We'll keep working hard and it'll come.”

Doncaster’s late leveller was only their second shot on target of an afternoon in which Sunderland did well to limit their hosts.

And Wright says the Black Cats will reflect on what was a disappointing goal to concede – with the defender having admitted he perhaps could have done better to cut-out the chance.

But the 28-year-old takes confidence from the fact that Sunderland made a usually effective Doncaster side look ‘average’ for large spells.

"We'll look back at it, it does happen quickly,” he said of the goal.

"Myself, I can probably clear it better. It's a difficult one, can we stop them getting in the box? Like with many goals you can rewind it back and look at many things.

"We limited them to very little but sometimes all you need is a tiny sniff of a chance and it can change a game.

"But we can't let it deflate us too much. As much as it hurts right now, we have to pick ourselves up and go again.

"We've got a whole season to play and there's going to be tough results throughout a season. It's how you bounce back from them and pick yourselves up and carry on.

"You concentrate for 90 minutes and switch off for one or two, it can change a result,” added Wright.

"I thought to a man everyone played really well today and there's a lot of positives to take out of it.

"It's a draw against Doncaster, a good side. But no disrespect to them, I think we made them look a very average side today.

"The way we worked with the ball, without the ball, we were bang at it and we deserved to win the game. But sometimes in football you don't get what you deserve and we have to pick ourselves up and be ready for the next.”

The ‘next’ that Wright refers to is the trip to Fleetwood Town on Friday evening, to face a side who themselves will be in promotion contention come May and who have proven something of a bogey side during Sunderland’s time in League One.

But it’s another game that the Sunderland squad will be expecting to win – with Wright confident the Black Cats’ last two league results will not derail the side.

"It was a bad result last week and this one, we've drawn the game - we haven't lost, even though it feels like that because of the way we played and it's taken away from us.

"We're Sunderland, that's the standard we set for ourselves that we want to win every game. We want to dominate games, regardless of who it is, and that's the pressures that come with it.

"They're the expectations that we put on ourselves so of course we're disappointed when we don't win a game. We can't let two results hurt us.

"It's football, we've lost games of football before and you just have to crack on and keep believing in what you're doing.

"We're doing the right things, it's been enjoyable and it's a good group who want to keep working hard and get back to winning games. I'm sure we will.”

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