'We struggled with Preston's direct play' - Le Bris
Sunderland remain fourth in the Championship seven points off second place
- Published
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris said his side struggled to deal with Preston North End's direct play during their 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats rescued a point through Romaine Mundle's superb strike late on after Emil Riis put the visitors ahead.
Le Bris said Preston made life difficult for his side with their willingness to get the ball forward quickly.
"I think we started OK. It was 4-4-2, a little bit different. We needed some adjustments to find the right dynamic," Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"It worked well, we created chances and should have scored before. We struggled a bit against their direct play, it is not easy to press.
"Our block was open and they kept the ball close to our box and were able to create chances from nothing from direct play."
But Le Bris was pleased with Sunderland's character and is refusing to give up on the promotion race despite a seven-point gap to the automatic spots.
"It was a good reaction, another point in the race. The league is long and we'll keep going."