CATS BOSS IS KEEPING COOL
TONY MOWBRAY refuses to accept Sunderland’s season has been derailed by their striker crisis.
The Black Cats failed to score at home in front of 41,225 fans in a setback to their top-six push.
Mowbray’s side have netted 16 goals this season in 11 games, bettered by only five rivals in the Championship.
But there is no doubt they are severely weakened by the absence of Scotland international Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms through injury.
Stewart is out until after the World Cup with a thigh tear and Simms has gone back to Everton for a scan on his toe – and they lacked punch and physical presence up front.
They slipped out of the top six but remained organised with a flowing style and creativity from Jack Clarke, Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts.
Costa Rica international teenager Jewison Bennette came on to lift the home side with 20 minutes to go with his pace and Mowbray said: “I don’t want to get hung up on the strikers.
“We have to accept we won’t play with a striker for a while.
“We have footballers who can exploit spaces. We had some pretty good chances. We are not without attacking players.
“I don’t think it will be an issue for us. We will find a way to score and win games.
“There are games when you don’t score. That is one game. We scored five in the last two away.
“Plenty can score in this team. Let’s hope on Tuesday, against Blackpool, I am not talking about no goals.”
Preston boss Ryan Lowe said: “We are unlucky not to come away with three points.
“I am not frustrated in terms of the performance. We had eight chances, five on target and it was nearly the perfect away performance.
“We came here to win and we showed intent.”
Patterson 7; Gooch 7, Alese 8, Batth 7, O’nein 7; Roberts 6, Evans 6 (Ba (60) 6), Neil 6, Clarke 7 (Dajaku (81) 6); Embleton 6 (Amad (60) 6), Pritchard 6 (Bennette (70) 7) Woodman 6; Storey 7, Lindsay 7, Cunningham 7; Browne 6, Whiteman 6; Ledson 6, Fernandez 7; Brady 6 (Mccann (86) 5), Evans 6 (Parrott (67) 6), Riis 6 Aji Alesi – Sound in defence. Andy Woolmer 7