Coleman not giving up the fight

Posted Sunday, April 08, 2018 by PA

Sunderland manager Chris Coleman is refusing to give up despite seeing his side slip closer to relegation following a 1-1 draw with 10-man Leeds at Elland Road.

Pablo Hernandez cancelled out Paddy McNair’s opener to leave the Black Cats, who dropped down from the Premier League last season, teetering on the brink of back-to-back demotions.

Sunderland could not take advantage of fellow strugglers Birmingham and Bolton both failing to win, leaving them seven points adrift of safety with only five matches remaining.

But despite their troubles, Coleman has urged his team to keep fighting from now until the end of the season.

“A point is not enough. A point was never going to be enough for us today,” the Welshman said.

“We needed the three with the position we are in. The performance was more than enough, it was good.

“Normally you come to Elland Road and are happy to get a point because it is such a tough place to come.

“We need to win five games of football, simple as that, and we have won only six all season so we are right up against it.

“It’s a big ask, a tall order, but it’s not impossible. I wouldn’t put money on us, but we have got to keep performing like that.

“Whether we run out of games, we haven’t yet. We cannot throw in the towel yet.”

Ashley Fletcher had a glorious chance to net a winner for Sunderland after Hernandez’s equaliser.

But the on-loan Middlesbrough striker, who was heavily linked with a move to Leeds last season, saw his close-range header kept out by a stunning reflex save by goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

“What a save,” Coleman said. “There was nothing wrong with the header. It was an incredible save.”

Mid-table Leeds were reduced to 10 men at the end when skipper Gaetano Berardi was handed his third red card of the season for a rash tackle on substitute Callum McManaman.

“I am upset about that, frustrated,” United head coach Paul Heckingbottom said.

“Bera is an honest person. I have questioned (whether) has he lost his head and his discipline, but he said he is genuinely going for the ball and accepted it was a bad tackle.

“I have not seen it back so I am just relaying what he has said.”

Leeds had plenty of chances of their own to win the match, hitting the post twice through Ronaldo Vieira and Samuel Saiz.

And Heckingbottom was keen to praise his side’s character after fighting back to claim a point.

“I think after going behind, you cannot be entirely satisfied with a draw, but you have got to give the players credit for coming back,” he said.