Saturday 15 April 2017 19:02, UK
David Moyes refused to throw in the towel despite Sunderland's 2-2 draw with West Ham leaving the club on the brink of relegation from the Premier League.
The Black Cats fought back from a goal down on two occasions on Saturday to snatch a dramatic point at the Stadium of Light, but the result does little for their survival bid.
Sunderland remain rooted to the foot of table, nine points from safety with just six games to play, but Moyes was upbeat after an encouraging display against the Hammers.
"We played well from the first minute," he told Sky Sports. "I think the players did a good job today, I really do.
"We went a goal down - we weren't great at the goal - but we started well and kept playing well in the first half and deserved our goal back.
"I couldn't ask for much more from the boys. Yes, we're running out of games but even in the last 10 minutes, we looked liable to getting a winner... the ball just didn't quite drop for us.
"Could we have defended a little bit better? Yes, but that was not for the want of trying."
The standout moment of the game from a Sunderland perspective came on 26 minutes when Wahbi Khazri, making his first start since October 29, hauled the hosts level direct from a corner.
And Moyes was pleased with the Tunisian's contribution on his return to the first-team fold, adding: "Wahbi played well today.
"His delivery (for the goal) was helped by Victor Anichebe's work on the goalkeeper but it was a really good delivery and we got the goal from it.
"All round, I was pleased. Wahbi has done well. Not many can score from a corner so if you've got people with good delivery, it's always useful."
By contrast, there was concern among the Sunderland ranks when Billy Jones was involved in a sickening collision with Arthur Masuaku, with the right-back carried from the field and administered oxygen.
"I thought it was a shoulder injury the way he went down. I also thought it was a free-kick that should have been given," Moyes said.
"Jones' head hit the floor and from what I've been told, it looks like concussion. He couldn't answer questions and passed out slightly.
"But he's fine, they've taken him to hospital and hopefully it's not too severe."
