Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris was frustrated his players couldn’t build on two moments of first-half magic after a 2-2 draw with managerless Coventry at the Stadium of Light.
The Sky Blues, who rallied under interim boss Rhys Carr after the sacking of Mark Robins two days earlier, bounced back from the two-goal deficit to earn a point by following up Haji Wright’s 62nd-minute finish with Jack Rudoni’s header with six minutes left.
Sunderland had looked like extending the gap at the top of the Sky Bet Championship to four points until those blows.
French striker Wilson Isidor’s brilliant volley in the 16th minute was bettered by Dennis Cirkin’s incredible run and 25-yard thunderbolt 19 minutes later – but it wasn’t enough.
Le Bris, whose side have now drawn three games in a week, said: “It was a good first half for us. I wanted it like that for all the game.
“Our strength, qualities at home, in possession, we created many opportunities to score, with two fantastic goals.
“Probably, in the first half, our out of possession wasn’t great. We tried to solve these problems.
“We couldn’t keep the ball under pressure, so it was possible for the opponent to exploit their strength and our weakness in the second half. We are disappointed with that.
“We have strength and we have to build on that. It is a question of consistency, weakness, commitment and the players need to know what to do when they are struggling against a team like Coventry.”
Isidor’s excellent volley from Romaine Mundle’s cross got things rolling and Cirkin’s fantastic strike, after linking well with Mundle, looked to have Sunderland on course for three points.
But Wright’s cool finish inside the area paved the way for Rudoni to head in from a crowded box to give Coventry a positive outcome on Wearside.
Before both of those goals, Sunderland might have added a third but Isidor was denied by goalkeeper Brad Collins, who also saved from Aaron Connolly.
Despite the week’s frustrations after Robins’ exit, Coventry kept plugging away in the second half and got their rewards to sit 17th.
Carr said: “It is not about me, it’s about the supporters heading back a long way. The players worked their socks off and it is about doing what is best for Coventry City FC.
“I am just pleased we did ourselves credit in the end.
“We wanted to be together as a group on the pitch and this last 48 hours, the staff have stepped up and the players, as you have seen today, have been fantastic. I am approaching things day to day.
“We spoke to the players at half-time, we needed to tweak things tactically. We spoke about the character needed and I am proud, pleased and happy for the players in there to have shown that character.
“It was a game of two halves. We wanted to play both halves like the second but to go away from home against the team at the top of table and get a point, we have to be pleased.”
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