Sunderland were frustrated by ten-man Swansea City as they were held to a goalless draw at the Swansea.com Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship.
A lively first 45 ended goalless despite Charlie Patino being sent off and Anthony Patterson saving a Jamal Lowe penalty on the stroke of half-time. Sunderland dominated after the interval but failed to find a match-winning goal.
Tony Mowbray opted to stick with the same side that beat Norwich City last weekend as his team went in search of their first win in South Wales since 2016.
Sunderland started the brighter of the two sides and created their first opportunity of the match inside the opening three minutes, but Dan Neil failed to force Carl Rushworth into a save with an audacious attempt from 25 yards out.
Patrick Roberts found Neil in space inside the host's box moments later, but the winger’s strike was hacked clear of danger.
The Black Cats created another opening when Jobe expertly played Nazariy Rusyn through on goal, but his bending effort curled wide of Rushworth’s far post.
Rushworth was on hand to keep the scores level halfway through the first half when he sprawled across his goal line to deny Jack Clarke from close range.
Swansea were reduced to ten men after just 30 minutes when on-loan Arsenal loanee Patino fouled Pierre Ekwah inside the visitor's half and was consequently dismissed for a second bookable offence.
Roberts came within inches of breaking the deadlock after collecting a ball from Neil on the edge of the Swans box, but Rushworth was down quickly to push the attacker's strike against his near post.
Swansea were awarded a penalty and an opportunity to take the lead against the run of play. Patterson stood tall and correctly dived to his left to save Lowe’s penalty and deny the home team the lead.
The visitors monopolised possession in the opening 45 minutes and almost took advantage with the final chance of the half when Clarke’s free-kick wide left clipped Rushworth’s crossbar.
Sunderland almost took a deserved lead on 64 minutes when Roberts jinked past his opponent and floated a cross into Luis Hemir but the substitute was unable to direct the ball goalbound.
Lowe broke free into Sunderland’s half but after cutting inside Dan Ballard, Patterson remained alert to pull off a neat save to his left.
The Black Cats thought they had scored that allusive goal when Luke O’Nien diverted a Trai Hume header from an Alex Pritchard corner towards goal, but Rushworth pulled off another save.
Hume was next to try his luck from range, but his driven effort whistled wide of Rushworth’s far post for a goal kick.
Tony Mowbray’s team continued to pile on the pressure in the closing 10 minutes – Bradley Dack and Clarke coming close inside the Swansea box, but both attempts were blocked as Michael Duff’s side remained resolute.
Sunderland were denied by the woodwork again in the dying embers of the game this time Abdoullah Ba’s speculative effort from 20 yards rattling Rushworth’s crossbar.
Next up for Sunderland will be the test of Wayne Rooney’s Birmingham City at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
SAFC XI: Patterson, Hume, Ballard (Cirkin 75’), O’Nien ©, Huggins (Dack 56’), Neil (Ba 79’), Ekwah, Roberts, Jobe (Pritchard 56’), Clarke, Rusyn (Hemir 55’)
Subs not used: Young, Seelt, Burstow, Aouchiche.
Swansea City XI: Rushworth, Darling, Grimes, Yates (Cooper 68’), Lowe, Paterson (Cabango 77’), Tymon, Patino, Cullen (Fulton 45’), Ashby, Humphreys.
Subs not used: Fisher, Pedersen, Tjoe-a-on, Naughton, Walsh, Congreve.