Tony Mowbray reveals his post-match message to Sunderland players after Middlesbrough defeat

Tony Mowbray says Sunderland have to learn from their chastening second half against Middlesbrough but added that he won't dwell on the result.

The two sides had looked evenly matched through the first half until Dan Neil was shown a second yellow card for dissent, a decision which Mowbray was hugely critical of afterwards.

Sunderland conceded two quick goals after the half-time interval, with the visitors going on to double their lead in the closing stages.

Mowbray said Sunderland will have to offer more when playing with ten in future but insisted that beyond that, he wouldn't read too much into a scoreline heavily influenced by that controversial red card.

"It's a learning curve," Mowbray said.

"I've just told them what I think in the dressing room, I wasn't shouting but I just think it's an education in terms of how we play, regardless of what shape or formation, you have to give a little more when you're down to ten men.

"Middlesbrough are a good team. They went seven games without a win but I said all along that they're a good team, they lost a lot of players in the summer and they've been integrating new players into the way they play. They roll their wide player in to create a box in midfield, push their left back on and leave their right winger out, we knew that and it was a good game. They created chances and we did as well, it was a good game up until the red card.

"I talked to the players after about playing with a man down, because it will happen again at some stage. It's a learning curve but we won't forensically analyse this game. We might well have a look back at the first half and look at what was good and what we didn't get right, but I thought we grew into it and got used to the intensity of it. We nicked the ball off them in their defensive third and created chances. There are always learning curves but as for the second half of the game, we'll throw it in the bin and move on."

Sunderland return to action away at Stoke City on October 21st.