Black Cats More Like Soft Kittens

Boro top dogs as Pulis has field day.

- Mark Williams

CHRIS Coleman has vowed not to “take kittens into the dogfight” after Sunderland were swept aside by North East rivals Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

First-half goals by Rudy Gestede and Martin Braithwaite gave Boro fans the bragging rights over their neighbours for the fifth game in a row between the sides.

Coleman’s strugglers, rock bottom of the Championship, must now focus wholeheartedly on survival and the Welshman has challenged his players to step up to the challenge.

“We are in a fight. And the players have to make sure they are all in for the fight. You can’t just dip your toes into the bath,” said the former Wales and Fulham boss.

“It’s a dogfight and you can’t take kittens into the dogfight. We were 11 players short of a full squad today and so before we’d even kicked a ball we were up against it. There are players who could be doing more.