LEE JOHNSON was left with mixed emotions after Sunderland's dramatic late fight-back at Crewe.

The Black Cats boss was furious with a lack-lustre first half display that left them trailing 2-0 at the break but was lelated - and hugely relieved - when two stunning goals by substitutes Jordan Jones and Chris Maguire earned them a valuable point in the League One promotion race.

Jones sparked the fight-back with a 78th-minute long-range shot and Maguire equalised in the seventh minute of added time with an equally memorable strike.

Johnson said: "It's a wonderful point and one earned by two bits of individual brilliance in terms of those finishes - both of which I would expect to be in the goal of the season top ten for sure.

"And we needed it because the first half was tough to watch. What upset me the most was the lack of enthusiasm.

"We had static movement, our press was laboured and slow and we were out-enthused and out-fought in the first half. There were four or five big tackles - opportuntities to hit them - but we didn't do it and if you missed the first one you've got to hit the second one and we didn't do that either.

"So it was a hard half time team talk because it was not based on tactics or any sort of strategy, it was based on 'if you are going to be a positive squad and energy in this division you've got to comeback.' It was as simple as that."

Johnson was so dismayed with the first 45 minutes he was thinking of making five substitutions at the break but resisted the temptation.

Instead he sent on four fresh players on the hour, including Jones and Maguire, and then had to make a fifth a few minutes later when one of the replacements, Grant Leadbitter, had to come off with a dislocated shoulder. 

"I was going to make five subs at half-time but lucky I didn't because Grant's shoulder would have popped out we would have ended up playing with 10 men," added Johnson.

"To be fair. I thought the first five or 10 minutes we got going a little bit more, (Aiden) McGeady started to pull the strings a little bit more.

"But I decided to make the changes, it is a squad game, there are a couple there who obviously had a bit of a point to prove - and did.

"Jones' strike was struck with real venom. He showed a great attitude coming off the left, bursting past a couple of players before unleashing his shot. I'd like to see that one again because it look like an absolute 'worldy.' Maguire's was a great goal too and a great moment for him because it's one he fully deserves.

"What really pleased me was that when when we had to go for it at 2-1 we did. We ended up with two or three opportunities at the end from wide free-kicks. I'm really happy deep down to come out from a really poor first 50 or 60 minutes to wrestle something back with those bits of magic but we've got to do more, simple as that.

"But it could prove to be a good point at the end of the season."

Leadbitter is facing a spell out after his second shoulder dislocation in recent weeks.

"It's not good," said Johnson. "It popped out of its joint. Credit to the Crewe doctor and the physios of both clubs because somehow they managed to pop it back in.

"You could hear from his scream the pain he was in. I was worried about that but sometimes when you put it straight back in it gives you half a chance to heal better and quicker rather than have to pin it or anything like that. So we'll have to see.

"It originally happened in the Ipswich game. Since then he's had a couple of injections in it so obviously there is a weakness there. I hope we don't lose him for too long because obviously he is a really important player for us."