MAX MAGIC ENOUGH TO DENY BLACK CATS

BRISTOL CITY boss Liam Manning praised the brilliance of keeper Max O’Leary as Sunderland were denied a morale-boosting win.

- Tom Evans

O’Leary was the City hero as he made a series of superb first-half saves to earn the West Country visitors a point.

Having been humbled 5-1 at home to Blackburn on Monday, the Black Cats were much-improved and looked the better throughout, but could not find a way past O’Leary.

Manning was pleased with his side’s defensive resilience as they repelled a series of Sunderland attacks to claim a third successive clean sheet, although he admitted he was less satisfied with other aspects of his team’s display.

He said: “The result was more pleasing than the performance. It’s about getting the balance right. In the last two games, the performance and the result were exactly as we would have wanted them. Today, in terms of performance, we know we can play a lot better.