Michael Beale spoke after Sunderland drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough today...
GENERAL THOUGHTS
“I thought we started the first half really well. We know we missed a couple of big chances. We weren’t good at the start of the second half and we conceded again from a set play which is something we need to look at for sure. We’ve come away from home today and only given up two shots on target and actually conceded from one of them, which is disappointing. But the response to it was excellent and we go and score a goal late in the game. I think it’s us who were the team that might go on to win the game. I’m not sure we worked the keeper as much as we should have from the good opportunities we had. It’s the last cross, can people run through the goal? Because there’s a tap-in there if you really believe and you run in. I think there were a couple of moments in the last ten minutes where there was a winner there for us. But we know it’s a tough place to come to and it’s a team that’s a rival in terms of where we are in the league. So I think our reaction to going 1-0 down was very good.”
RUSYN GOAL
“The strikers have started scoring which is a good thing. We’re sharing the load around at the moment with different people scoring goals. As I say, we had a couple of really big opportunities to go 1-0 up today in the first half and we’ll look back on them with regret but the reaction I saw from the players, after a poor start to the second half, I was really pleased with.”
BALLARD LOOKS FINE
“He looks fine in there. It’s obviously a sore one, he’s been bumped in the back and rolled over. I felt that there were moments in the game where we could have been a bit tougher. Middlesbrough, with the fans on their back, tried to put it on us a little bit and that’s where I think we have to stand up and be counted for. Dan’s one of the guys who does that and obviously they brought the big lad on at the end, who just constantly fouled people."
MENTION FOR THE FANS
"I thought the fans were in great voice at the end pushing the team on and maybe with a couple of the moments we had around the box, we could have come away with three points today.”
HJELDE DEBUT
“I thought he did fantastic. Someone who has just come in and only known the players for three or four days. We know he’s played in this league, he’s played in the Premier League as well for Leeds, so there was no doubt in putting him in and I thought he showed what he can bring to the club. He can play left back, he’s more comfortable at left sided centre half, but I think he’s a player at 20 we’ve done very well to recruit. I thought as a debut for a full 90 minutes he goes away with a big pat on the back.”
ONTO PLYMOUTH
“We’ll get the three new players bedded in, hopefully get Callum (Styles) back sooner rather than later as well. But we’ll take one game at a time. You can’t call the Championship, if you look at some of the results yesterday for sure. That was a real hard-earnt point today and we might look back on it and say it’s a really important point. One game at a time but it sets up a really interesting week with Plymouth at home followed by Huddersfield and Birmingham away. Let’s deal with Plymouth first.”
