Dick Advocaat's Sunderland are bottom of the Premier League
Had Aston Villa skipper Micah Richards not missed an open goal midway in the second half, the Black Cats would have suffered a third morale-sapping defeat.
Just how Richards failed to stick in Scott Sinclair’s cross from two yards out defied belief. But that allowed gritty Sunderland off the hook – and to snatch a draw.
The result was particularly harsh on Villa ace Sinclair after he followed up his midweek League Cup hat-trick with a double here.
The Black Cats took a surprise ninth-minute lead through summer signing Yann M’Vila’s 25-yard free-kick and Jeremain Lens pounced on Carlos Sanchez’s mistake before finding the net, via a hefty deflection, to grab a point.
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Scott Sinclair's double was cancelled out by Jeremain Lens and Yann M'Vila
Villa boss Tim Sherwood pulled his hamstring in kicking a water bottle in frustration and he revealed: “I never did it once when playing but I’d done it bad there. It was down to frustration because we dominated.”
Advocaat admitted: “Villa were the better team – but I am pleased with the effort and a hard-working performance.”
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