Regis Le Bris hailed match-winner Wilson Isidor after watching him fire Sunderland right back into the Sky Bet Championship promotion race.
The 24-year-old French striker, who is on loan at the Stadium of Light from Zenit St Petersburg, fired his side to a 2-1 victory over third-placed Sheffield United with his second goal in three games after ending his barren spell at Blackburn on Boxing Day.
Sunderland head coach Le Bris said: “It was a brilliant goal. Football is like that. Wilson struggled to score goals maybe for six or seven games and probably there was a little doubt around him.
“But for us, it was clear that Wilson is able to score that kind of goal, so it was just a question of consistency as well as a coach, as a staff, as a club to believe in our players.”
Both sides had taken just a single point from their two games over Christmas, but it was the Black Cats who righted the wrongs to drag themselves to within two points of second-placed Burnley and five of leaders Leeds, both of whom had only drawn earlier in the day.
Kieffer Moore should have put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot after Luke O’Nien had dragged him back, but keeper Anthony Patterson blocked his attempt with his legs, and the Wales international’s pain increased when Eliezer Mayenda, who had passed up glorious opportunities in the previous two games, gave the home side a 27th-minute lead.
Asked about 19-year-old Mayenda’s contribution, Le Bris said: “Young players deserve support because they need support. They are young and they can make mistakes.
“They have to learn from experiences and when they are not in their best moment, we have to believe that they will succeed because they have talent.”
O’Nien’s evening took a further turn for the worse in the 32nd minute when he headed Gustavo Hamer’s driven cross into his own net to make it 1-1, but Isidor’s strike three minutes later ultimately proved decisive.
Blades boss Chris Wilder felt his side – who are level on points with Burnley – deserved more from the game after mounting a late onslaught, but admitted they had been the architects of their own downfall.
Wilder said: “Yes, 100 per cent. We had a big moment after 15 minutes to put us in control of the game, didn’t take that and then two really poor mistakes from our point of view.
“In terms of the goals we conceded, that was very uncharacteristic for us and I’ve got to say congratulations to the manager and the players of Sunderland because they defended with their lives in the last 10, 15 minutes.”
