Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth offers revealing verdict on Sunderland and Jack Ross

His Wycombe Wanderers side held Sunderland to a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light, ending the Black Cats' eight-game winning run.

Winger Fred Onyedinma struck the opener 67 minutes in before sub Josh Maja rescued a point for Sunderland six minutes from time, his 11th of the campaign in all competitions and 10th in League One.

The Wycombe boss was full of praise for Ross, the staff at the Stadium of Light and Sunderland AFC as a whole.

Ainsworth said: "It was a superb performance by the boys, I thought we were the better side in the first half and up to the goal it was very even.

"After we scored Sunderland then piled some serious pressure on us and they deserved the goal after the pressure in the last 15 minutes.

"What I'm really proud of is we didn't crumble, once one comes at this fantastic football club the fans are right behind them and it could easily have been two.

"We could have nicked it but perhaps that would have been unfair.

"I'm immensely proud of the Wycombe boys, we came here and competed with what I think is the league's best team.

"They are going to be right up there at the end of the season, Jack Ross has done a fantastic job, he is a great manager and this is a proper football club, everyone shakes your hand,

welcomes you, it is fantastic for a club like Wycombe to come here and experience it and get something from the game."

Ainsworth added: "I don't think teams underestimate us, I think they respect us. We are not the biggest resourced team, no academy or reserve side, we punch above our weight.

"To come here and be on the front foot was something we wanted to do. There was a plan in place, I won't give it away as we might use it again.

"It was nice to see little bits of the plan come off and cause problems for Sunderland.

"They have had to put some serious names on at the end and we take that as a big compliment.

"It is probably one of the biggest gulfs in the league, clubs like Gillingham, Walsall and Accrington are very similar to us. The gulf speaks for itself and it is just brilliant and fantastic for the players, it breeds belief we can compete at this level.

"I said I wanted to break some coupons and hope we busted a few."