Parkin delighted Railwaymen were derailed - but wished it had not been so ‘hairy’ at end

SUNDERLAND’S inability to kill Crewe off meant the final stages on Tuesday night were more ‘hairy’ than they needed to be - but Steve Parkin insists that did not take the shine off this victory.

The Black Cats created a series of chances against the Railwaymen at the Stadium of Light but could not find the net.

They were reliant on an own goal from Crewe defender Luke Offord for the points - but this win, which extended Sunderland’s unbeaten start to six games, and another clean sheet - their fifth of the season - means the Wearsiders continue to gather momentum.

They cut the gap between themselves and the top two to just two points - with a game in hand on all four sides above them in the table.

Assistant manager Parkin said:

“We limited Crewe to practically nothing, while we have had something like 21 attempts - we need to concentrate on converting a few more of those.

“Without that, it made a little bit more hairy at the end but the resilience of the boys at the end was admirable as we made sure we got that 1-0 victory.

“The scoreline could have been a lot more comfortable but

sometimes these results are satisfying because you have kept another clean sheet and seen real grit and determination.”

The clean sheet was Sunderland’s fifth in a row and they have conceded just one league goal all season - a penalty in the third minute of the first game of the campaign - a fine achievement given they have had to make changes to their defence due to injuries and suspension. Parkin says those clean sheets have not come about by accident, however.

He added: “We look at the teams we are playing, we work together as a unit and we do a lot of work on the training ground.

“These clean sheets do not just happen, they come through a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication from the players and everyone at the club.

“It is also not just down to the defenders and the goalkeeper.

“You have to start defending from the front and our closing down in the last two games has been really good.”

Defender Jordan Willis did not feature after limping off during the weekend victory at Swindon Town with a badly-bruised foot.

However, the 26-year-old was expected to return to training today.