Chris Coleman praised the endeavour and commitment of his players as they fought to the last to earn a point against Middlesbrough.
There were no fewer than six goals and two red cards at the Stadium of Light this afternoon in a high-octane Wear-Tees encounter.
Joel Asoro drew first blood for Sunderland before a red card for either side changed the complexion of the match.
Boro romped through the gears at the start of the second 45, with Patrick Bamford and Grant Leadbitter striking to turn the tide.
Jonny Williams then levelled before Bamford looked to have snatched all three points for Tony Pulis’ side.
But Callum McManaman struck in the last minute to earn the lads a deserved point, leaving Coleman delighted with his side’s commitment to the cause.
“It was a pulsating 90 minutes in the end,” he said.
“I thought it was a full-blooded performance, I can’t fault the players for that.
“That is what we have been looking for in the last two games and that’s what we got.
“In terms of the lads’ honesty and intensity they were fantastic.
“It was a crazy start to the second half, but we showed great courage and personality to get back into the game and had we come out of today with nothing then it would’ve been tough.
“When you are in our position you can feel sorry for yourself, but we didn’t, we scored a great equaliser at a great time.
“It wasn’t just what the players deserved but the supporters as well,” he continued.
“It is only a point, but it was more like what we want in terms of the performance.”