Duncan’s return so crucial for his psyche

SIMON Grayson says Duncan Watmore’s return to first-team action will have given the frontman a psychological boost.

Watmore has been out since rupturing his cruciate ligament in December, but played the final 22 minutes of the Black Cats’ 2-2 draw at Deepdale.

And he made a big impression in his short run-out, with Grayson saying: “Thirty minutes was going to be about his maximum today. I would have started him if I had had the chance, but I have to go with the decision of the medical department.

“He showed what he is capable of doing, taking people on and getting in behind.

“It would have been so nice for him to score a goal – that would have been the perfect way for him to return.

“But psychologically, he will feel so good just for having made his comeback, and the medical staff deserve a lot of credit.

“Duncan is going to give any team quality, with and without the ball.

“He has energy, guile, craft, whatever you want to call it.

“It’s just nice to have him back, and it will be nice to have Lewis Grabban back at some point in the next few weeks, and Josh Maja too.”

After so long on the sidelines with a serious injury, there is always a question mark over how a player will react to his first strong challenge but when Watmore was cleaned out by Preston keeper Chris Maxwell, he was immediately back on his feet – although Grayson felt Maxwell should have been shown a card.

He said: “It should have been a card of some description, yellow or red, because he quite clearly took Duncan out and he also handled the ball.

“I’m not quite sure why that decision went like it did.

“But when he got taken out by Maxwell, Duncan probably didn’t realise that that was the first real tackle he has had since doing his cruciate.”

When Sunderland levelled at 2-2, the game might have swung back in their favour if referee Chris Kavanagh had pointed to the spot when Watmore was brought down by Ben Davies.

“There were decisions which might have gone our way,” said Grayson.

“I think it was a penalty when Watmore got the wrong side of the defender Ben Davies and he clipped him, and that could have been the difference between winning the game and drawing.”