David Moyes praised his team following Sunday’s defeat at Tottenham Hotspur despite admitting Sunderland didn’t see enough of the ball.
A resilient defensive display, which included countless saves from the impressive Jordan Pickford, was undone midway through the second period as Harry Kane punished a Papy Djilobodji error to hand Spurs three points.
Former Tottenham midfielder Steven Pienaar had the best opportunity of the game but his effort was cleared off the line by Kyle Walker, with Sunderland battling tirelessly against an energetic and attack-minded home side.
Speaking post-match, Moyes praised his side while urging them to bounce back and defeat QPR ahead of a Stadium of Light double-header against Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion.
“It was a tough game. We didn't get enough of the ball to really dictate the game.
“We were up against it early on, but we were resilient, stuck at it and probably had the best chance.”
He continued: “I know they had a lot of opportunities but we had the best one from Steven Pienaar.
“I've got to praise the lads for sticking at their task and take some positives from it.
“We gifted them [Kane's goal] but in the rest of the game we worked really hard to protect our goal and not give things away.
“The fans were great. To be truthful I think they appreciated that the boys hung in there and stuck at it.”
