JACK ROSS insists his Sunderland players can be proud of earning a point against promotion rivals Peterborough United, despite holding the lead twice and a costly rush of blood to the head from full-back Bryan Oviedo.

The Black Cats were unable to close the four-point gap to the second-place Posh at the Stadium of Light because they had to settle for a 2-2 draw. The result also allowed leaders Portsmouth to extend their advantage of Ross’ team to seven points.

Sunderland had secured the lead in an impressive first half performance when Josh Maja hit a sweet eighth goal of the campaign before Oviedo was sent off for a stupid kick out at Marcus Maddison with 22 minutes remaining.

Six minutes later Peterborough levelled through substitute Joe Ward. When it looked Steve Evans’ side would go on to win, Jerome Sinclair put Sunderland ahead again with 11 minutes left before former Newcastle striker Ivan Toney equalised again in the 85th minute.

Ross said: “The league table doesn’t matter now. We have had challenges this season and been so resilient in meeting them, we are dealing with the expectations of being where we are.

“That group in there keeps improving their performance levels, we are getting better. We are still not there but we are getting better all the time.

“We are getting players back and they are responding to what I want from them. We will be in a better position at the end of the season.”

He added: “I thought we were very good, different aspects really good. First half we were miles ahead. Second half we had to be resilient, we did that well, then the response we had with ten men was outstanding. For my team to go and try to win the game is testament to my team.”

Sunderland supporters were furious with a number of decisions that went against them throughout the 90 minutes from referee David Coote – despite Evans suggesting afterwards that the Wearside crowd actually worked against the visitors to the Stadium of Light.

But Ross said: “I don’t have an issue with the sending off, I have watched it again. I don’t think the contact reflected the reaction, but that’s what opposition players do.

“It is out of character, Bryan is disappointed in the changing room. Tonight was more about accentuating a number of positives because they deserved to win the game.”

Asked about the referee’s performance, Ross added: “Indifferent. That happens. It’s strange because I hear some of the comments saying we get favours here because of our fans … we have had a couple of penalties against us, red cards, we haven’t had too much go for us here. Our performance was good regardless of that.”

Sunderland have won just one of their last six matches ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bradford. He said: “As manager of this club and the group of players, we want to win every single game, we take that expectation on our shoulders and we try to win. We did that.

“There are not players in there who are happy with a draw, even with ten men. They feel more comfortable after I have come out and told them the positives. The character, resilience all season has been great, the performance is great.”

Sunderland will be without Oviedo for three matches and young left-back Denver Hume will not play again until the back end of November. Reece James is likely to get his chance now.

Ross – who revealed George Honeyman was missing with a head injury - said: “Denver will be six weeks. Bryan is suspended now. We went over a 72 hours period from having the strongest squad we have had all season to having the most stretched squad we have had.

“What these circumstances do is offer up an opportunity. Aiden McGeady getting back when he has been out for months is good for us, Jerome Sinclair is starting games now, they make me think long and hard about selections now and my big players challenge it.”