Tony Mowbray delivers 'proud' verdict after late Sunderland drama - and explains why it's left him with an injury worry

It looked as if Sunderland's injury woes had finally caught up with them when they twice conceded from corners either side of half-time, but Luke O'Nien halved the deficit and Roberts sealed what could yet be a crucial point with a wonderful late finish.

Sunderland's play-off ambitions are now out of their own hands but they're in the race and the head coach says his team have clarity about what they need to do.

"We have real clarity now, we have to go and win at Preston," he said.

"The teams around us have tough games on paper so you never know – we have to go there and win, we have to be aggressive right from the off and then see what happens.

"I'm pretty relaxed about it, we've given ourselves a really good opportunity on the last day of the season and we'll take a huge crowd there with us."

Watford's opener gave them the opportunity to sit deep and frustrate Sunderland in front of a near 45,000 crowd.

Mowbray said he was proud of the way his team kept playing on what at times was a frustrating afternoon.

"We deserved something out of the game," Mowbray said.

"We talked about playing the match in front of us and not the occasion. It's experience I think and I think they have to go through games like today. The fans were amazing, they stuck with the team and kept them going.

"Like anything in life, you have to live the experience to get better and stronger and I think this team will do that. They are getting used to the challenge of playing here. I enjoyed the game today, I didn't enjoy the two goals going in our net but I thought we stuck at what we're good at, we moved the ball across the pitch and tried to cut through them. Late on, we got enough bodies in the box and we got our reward.

"I've told the players how proud I am of the effort they give me every game, and I hope the supporters enjoy watching them work hard and trying to play football with the ball. They need support and they get that, I feel it's a good place. We're already looking forward to next week.

"I'm proud of the way they keep going, and you have to be proud of how quickly they're learning."

The head coach hobbled in and out of his post-match press conference, and now hopes he isn't the latest centre-half at the club to be hit with a muscle problem.

"I'm sitting here in a bit of a discomfort, I think I've got a hamstring injury," he admitted.

"I've never had one of these in 18 years of playing because I was never fast enough, and yet when that goal goes in I've obviously moved a bit quickly.

"Our treatment room is pretty full but I'll have to try and grab a physio. I don't know if I'll be fit next week, but I will be there."