'Nothing but credit' for Doncaster Rovers from boss Darren Moore after Sunderland draw

Rovers were second best during the first half and Sunderland took the lead through a stunning long range strike from Grant Leadbitter.

Moore’s men improved after the break but struggled to break down the visitors, until Fejiri Okenabirhie hooked in from close range deep into injury time.

And the Rovers boss was not too disheartened by his side’s performance.

“I looked at the game and I thought for the first ten or 15 minutes we were really bright,” Moore said.

“They had a spell in the game where they just found their shape and we got caught in between - do we go or do we stay off?

“When we did go, we didn’t go all together so at times we got picked off in certain areas and we felt ourselves having to do almost double the work in terms of getting up and defending.

“At half time we made one or two adjustments and that just jinked the team shape a bit more and made us more solidified.

“It also put them on the back foot and the pendulum swung back into the second half.

“It was a clear game of chess today from both managers and both teams.

“I thought it was a good game and nothing surprises me with the level and type of game it was.

“To go a goal down against that type of opposition, I’ve got nothing but credit for the players in terms of that.

“I sit here really pleased with the type of game it was.”

Moore says Okenabirhie's late equaliser meant more than any other goal so far this season as Rovers got just rewards for maintaining their push for an equaliser until the death.

"That goal probably meant more because of the way they kept at it, they way they kept going,” he said.

"Sunderland are a good team and we knew it would be another tight game.

"To unpick them like that with Brad Halliday's brilliant bit of skill to make it was excellent.

"I was pleased with the players and I said they deserved it for the way that they kept at it."

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