DREADFUL CATS BOW OUT OF CUP

SUNDERLAND BOW OUT OF CUP WITH A WHIMPER AFTER DISAPPOINTING DEFEAT AT TURF MOOR

Sunderland’s results continue to suffer from a depleted squad – but David Moyes will not use it as an excuse.

Following Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Stoke City in the Premier League, the Black Cats boss saw his side make a tame 2-0 exit from the FA Cup after losing at Premier League rivals Burnley.

Sam Vokes headed in the first just before the break with sub Andre Gray, who tortured Sunderland with a hat-trick in the 4-1 New Year’s Eve defeat, clinched the home win seven minutes.

“We lost here a few weeks back and we find it diffficult against Burnley,” he said.

“I think we find it hard to cope with Burnley’s style more than anything so we changed thing a little bit.

“I thought we just about coped with it in the first half and it just unravelled a little bit just before half-time.

“Burnley got a couple of corners, one I didn’t think was a corner, and from that sort sort of time we lost a goal to Vokes just before the break.

“We shouldn’t have let the cross come in for the first goal, we gave it away right on half-time when it looked as if it looked as we’d go in 0-0.”

Moyes made three changes from the Stoke game, Javier Manquillo, Billy Jones and debutant George Honeyman coming in for John O’Shea, the injured Jack Rodwell and Jermain Defoe.

However, Clarets boss Sean Dyche retained just three starters from their win over Southampton.

Moyes does not want to make excuses about the threadbare nature of his squad, but admits it’s a factor.

“I’ve not wanted to make any excuses,” he said. “I expect my players out there to play better. I don’t expect them to make the couple of mistakes they did leading up to the goals.

“But if I had other players available I could take a couple of lads out and put others in.

“At the moment I can’t do that. It’s been like this for three or four weeks, but I’ve tried not to use that as an excuse.

“But it is a fact, we are finding it a struggle, it’s pretty much the same people [in the match day 18 every game].

“I have to say I thought George Honeyman came in and did well.”