Two Up, Two Down: Luton left as mad as Hatters as Sunderland grab an equaliser!

Andrew Smithson says...

A point made

Luton have been doing well and are good at grinding out narrow wins, so to come from behind and get something from them on two occasions this season is very positive.

We deserved the two points that we picked up against them, as well.

On Saturday, Tony Mowbray was bold with his changes, the players tried to make things happen and had things fallen differently, we may have even snatched a win.

Winning the battles

This was a physical match and the conditions were greasy, but we stood our ground and battled for every ball.

Dan Ballard in particular seemed to be getting manhandled all the time yet he showed great strength, and Luke O’Nien was in the wars, too.

It was good to see him involved as I was worried that he’d taken a bad one against Sheffield United, but there was real fight throughout the side and it was certainly appreciated by the crowd.

Take a break!

Perhaps the international break will be a good thing.

There were points during the first half when we were a little bit slack on the ball and I’m worried that the season and all the injuries are catching up with us.

We might lack size in certain areas of the pitch but the team always puts a shift in, so a bit of rest (or a confidence boost for the lads away on international duty) could be just what we need.

Idiots in the crowd…once again

There was an object thrown from the crowd towards the opposition in the second half.

It was moronic and I hope the person responsible is dealt with appropriately.

Poor officiating and poor behaviour in the stands both seem to be regular occurrences. At least the referees are part of the sport, but there should be no place at all for people behaving like that.

Photo by Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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Malc Dugdale says...

Late determination

We worked hard right to the death and Luton might’ve been happy to get a point.

It was probably a fair outcome on the balance of play and most fans would’ve taken that before kick off against a very in-form side.

Amad back among the goals

It was a dubious penalty but Amad can’t change that and it arguably made up for the disaster of a decision on Wednesday night.

He took it well and it made sure we got something out of the game at a time when it looked like Luton may run the clock down and take all three points.

Where does Joe Gelhardt fit in?

I’m the most forgiving person you’ll meet, but Gelhardt clearly isn’t a striker who can operate at this level and we need to stop playing him as one.

His errors during the last few weeks are becoming unforgivable and we won’t have him around next season.

Time to go with the players we need to invest in for the future.

Errors from Anthony Patterson

For me, the new England Under-21 international should’ve done better for the goal and he also could’ve done more for the Blades’ winner in the week, although he may have been unsighted for both.

He needs to become a more rounded goalkeeper as simply being a great shot stopper won’t keep him in the Three Lions setup for long.

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Paddy Hayes says...

Four points from nine

There was a air of despondency after the Stoke drubbing, and the prospect of playing four of the league’s top seven during our next four fixtures had most fans feeling a little nervy.

Prior to that run, it was broadly agreed that four points would be a decent return, and we’ve done that with a game to spare.

Playing to the final whistle

An attribute that certainly wasn’t associated with Sunderland teams of years gone by was mental fortitude, especially when we went a goal behind.

It’s been highlighted before and I’m highlighting it again: this young side has a truly fearless attitude when responding to a deficit.

They’ll always push for an equaliser and we did just that.

The goalkeeper conundrum

Anthony Patterson is a terrific shot stopper and he’s still a very raw talent with plenty of potential.

The jury’s out as to whether he was completely unsighted for Luton’s goal or whether he could’ve done better.

Either way, his all-round game would benefit from stiffer competition, because it’s clear that Alex Bass isn’t on his level.

A grind for Gelhardt

The less said, the better.

He’s been poor since he joined and it’s gotten to the point where I actually pity the lad. He’s got no confidence in front of goal and is positionally all over the place.

We looked like a far better side when he was substituted and Jewison Bennette came on.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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