SUNDERLAND BOSS: I NEED PLAYERS WHO ARE PREPARED TO FIGHT FOR THIS CLUB

commitment of several players in his squad, who returned to the foot of the Championship last week.

Coleman said: “One or two have long-term injuries, we have the scans, but could one or two be doing a bit more to be with us? Yes.

“My conscience is clear – I’m ready for what’s in front of me and I won’t always come out on top but I never duck it.

“We don’t want to lose Grabban but why should I get down on my hands and knees to beg somebody to stay at Sunderland, even though we’re bottom of the league? He goes back to Bournemouth and we get on with it.

“He got a lot of goals but we didn’t get a lot of wins. Consolations and penalties are fine, he’s a natural goalscorer, but we won one game in 16.

“We’re in a dogfight and you don’t go into a dogfight with kittens, that’s for sure. I need whoever is ready.”

Gestede gave Boro a 10th-minute lead after former Boro keeper Jason Steele was slow off his line and the striker capitalised on Adama Traore’s neat pass to slide the ball home.

And Steele then threw away any chance of a comeback three minutes before the break as he flapped at a Stewart Downing corner, collided with Gestede and John O’Shea before Braithwaite coolly slotted in to make it 2-0.

The home side should have won by a landslide but Steele actually managed two good saves to deny Traore and Gestede. Sunderland had three efforts on target and Darren Randolph brilliantly kept out one Tyias Browning header.

Boro boss Tony Pulis said: “We played really well in the first half and looked dangerous every time we went forward. For 15 minutes of the second-half we were sloppy but I am really pleased.” Possession 51% 49% Shots On Target 8 3 Shots Off Target 6 3 Blocked Shots 3 1 Corners 7 5 Fouls Conceded 16 7 Offsides 0 0 Yellow Cards 2 2 Red Cards 0 0