Jones aiming to nail-down a place in Cats’ starting line-up
Jordan Jones is targeting further minutes at Sunderland after his goalscoring cameo at Crewe Alexandra – but admits he can’t complain at his lack of game time thus far.
The January signing from Rangers is yet to start a league game since his arrival and has largely been restricted to substitute appearances since arriving on Wearside.
But he staked his claim at Gresty Road with a fine strike from distance which sparked Sunderland back into life – and teed-up the dramatic finale which saw Chris Maguire net a spectacular 97th minute leveller.
And while delighted to open his account for the club, Jones was more pleased with the wider meaning of the goal while also praising those who entered the fray alongside him as part of a quadruple substitution shortly into the second half.
“I'm delighted to get my first goal, but more importantly it contributes towards a point which could be vital at the end of the season,” said the winger.
“I've come on and I feel like I've done myself no harm, so it's a good feeling.
“I think the first 45, 50 minutes was nowhere near good enough for our standards,” he continued.
"We made Crewe look like a really good team.
"That's no disrespect to them, I just don't think we
imposed ourselves on the game.
“I think it [the message from Johnson] was just to try and come on and create a goal or score goals and I think all the subs did really well.
"Obviously, me and Chrissy will get the plaudits because of the goals.
"But every one of the subs was really bright
and brought the energy that we needed.”
Jones insists his aim for the future at Sunderland is to nail-down a place in the side.
But he knows that will be no easy task given he is competing with the evergreen Aiden McGeady, whose form means the loanee has been loathe to complain at his lack of game time thus far.
"The team has been flying - there's no sign of me spitting my dummy out because I'm not playing or anything like that,” he said.
“McGeady has been top class and he's linking up with Charlie really well, so I understand I have to wait for my chance.
“I got my chance and I feel like I've come on and done well, and the most important thing is we got the point to take home.
"It is hard to go out every week and be top class. McGeady is the one in front of me and he has been top class.
"I just need to be ready to be called upon and hopefully I can show what I can do.”
“I've come to this club really lacking match fitness and I've put in and out the first few weeks, which I think has probably helped me fitness-wise,” Jones added.
“I've come on and shown I'm a lot fitter and a lot sharper on my mind.
"Hopefully, I can play some more minutes now, but everyone is just focused on winning as many games as we can and then we'll see where we are come the end of the season.”
Lee Johnson hailed a 'wonderful point' for Sunderland but delivered a scatching assessment of their first-half display against Crewe Alexandra.
The Black Cats looked to be heading for defeat when goals from Chris Porter and Tom Lowery gave David Artell's side a fully deserved two-goal advantage at the break.
A woeful Sunderland effort left the Black Cats Head Coach giving serious consideration to making five substitutions at the break.
In the end he resisted, but introduce four players from his bench just 15 minutes into the second half.
The changes proved key, with Jordan Jones and Chris Maguire scoring outstanding goals to rescue what could be a valuable point.
Johnson said his side's struggles in the game meant they had to go more direct in the latter stages and he felt they were ultimately rewarded for their positivity.
"It's a wonderful point won by two bits of individual brilliance," Johnson said.
"Both of those goals you'd expect to be in the top ten goals of the season.
"We needed it because in the first half, it was tough to watch.I can't give you an answer why, whether it's the number of games back to back, maybe I've got to look at myself and say, was this the one to make five or six changes?
"What upset me most in the first half was the lack of enthusiasm. Where does that come from? The team energy, the attitude to receive the ball, the body language, the communication and the interplay that we just didn't have.
“We had no service into Charlie Wyke, we were static, the press was laboured and slow.
"At our best we're like the red arrows flying across Wyke, but there was none of that," he added.
"We were outfought in the first half. It was a hard half-time team talk. I was going to make five substitutes at half time but I wanted to see what we had, and to be fair we got going a little bit. We made changes, it is a squad game and there were a couple who had a point to prove and fair play, they did.
"I can't wait to see those goals again on video. What was really positive is that when we had to go for it, we did.
"I know that's easy when you've had the punch on the nose, but we were brave and got bodies around Wyke.
"I'm really happy deep down to come out with a point after such a poor first hour."
Johnson said he would be analysing that first half performance closely and warned that there will be difficult conversations if he feels a poor attitude was at the root of any of the team's errors.
"You have to be consistent with it," he said.
"We've got to find out why.
If it's technical , you work with the players, no problem. If it's tactical, then it's my fault.
"If it's an attitude [problem], then I'll be coming down on them like a tonne of bricks. Every individual action we'll look at. We'll speak to them, see if they're alright, ask why, and put some serious demands on them for the next game."