Improved second-half display pleases Sunderland boss David Moyes
Sunday 18 December 2016 07:33, UK
David Moyes was buoyed by Sunderland's second-half display as their 1-0 win over Watford helped them avoid being bottom of the Premier League at Christmas.
Patrick van Aanholt's winner in the 49th minute lifted Sunderland into 18th, meaning they leapfrog Hull and Swansea, who both suffered defeats on Saturday afternoon.
Victory was Sunderland's fourth in seven league games, and the Black Cats will be optimistic about their survival chances having initially failed to win in their opening 10 games.
Manager Moyes is under no illusions however, after Sunderland failed to get out the traps in the first half.
"I didn't think we had enough intent in the first half and perhaps there was a little bit of a hangover from the game in midweek," Moyes told Sky Sports after the match.
"I didn't think we defended that well in the first half, and [Troy] Deeney and [Odion] Ighalo were a handful today, but the boys did much better in the second half.
"We got up to full speed and once the boys up front started pressing a bit more, and getting after Watford, we became a bigger threat.
"We always looked like we had a chance in us, and with Jermain [Defoe], Victor [Anichebe] and Adnan [Januzaj], I thought they always looked like they could create something."
Sunderland recorded just their second clean sheet of the season in the league, with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford producing a number of fine stops to keep Watford at bay.
And Moyes know a sturdy defence can be their foundation for success if they are to fight their way out of the relegation battle.
"The clean sheets are massively important and if we didn't get one today then we wouldn't have had the three points," Moyes said.
"Especially late in the game we were so keen to get over the line and get the victory.
"But it was a tough game. I always thought it would be tight and Watford posed problems for us at set-pieces. But we coped very well.
"We're not getting detached and we don't want to be. We need to get ourselves into a position where we can win more games and it was a tough one, but we got there in the end."
Sunderland now turn their attentions to a Boxing Day clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
