Coleman is still hopeful of avoiding relegation
SUNDERLAND manager Chris Coleman has not yet given up on avoiding relegation from the Championship, despite having to settle for a 2-2 draw at fellow strugglers Reading.
Reading went ahead in the 20th minute when Liam Kelly hammered home a penalty after Jon Dadi Bodvarsson was fouled by goalkeeper Lee Camp.
Sunderland equalised through a fierce 30-yard effort from Paddy McNair soon after half-time, with stand-in skipper Lee Cattermole making it 2-1 from a stooping header.
But Reading equalised with 11 minutes remaining when substitute Yann Kermorgant nodded in a Chris Gunter cross.
Rock-bottom Sunderland now face a second successive relegation.
“We’ve got three games to go and that’s nine points to play for,” Coleman said.
“And there’s six points in it (from safety), so the ball is firmly in other teams’ courts.
“What we’ve got to do is what we’ve been doing for the last four or five games – and that’s just go for it.
“Whoever the opposition has been, our performances have been the same.
“That’s three games running now that we’ve done enough to take all three points, but we’ve eventually given it up.
“That’s critical for us at this stage of the season.
“The performance and mentality was spot on, brilliant, but it’s those fine details that we haven’t taken care of more. It’s been like that all season really.
“At 2-1 up, I didn’t think that we were in too much difficulty. If anything, we were probably going to score again.
“The players’ attitude is great, fabulous, not much more I can ask from them in terms of their input into the game.
“But it’s those fine details that have let us down again.”