Dougie Freedman speaks after the recent FA Cup draw with Sunderland
Dougie Freedman was pleased with the way his side acquitted themselves against Premier League outfit Sunderland following the 2-2 draw at the Reebok.
In a thoroughly entertaining game, Wanderers raced into a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Chung-Yong Lee and Marvin Sordell.
But the visitors rallied late on and earned a replay thanks to goals from substitute Connor Wickham and Craig Gardner.
Speaking in his post-match press conference Freedman said: “We’re obviously disappointed not to have won the game having been two goals up.
“I thought we were in control for the majority of the first half and played some lovely football, but credit to Sunderland, they came back at us in the second half.
“Their delivery from set pieces caused us one or two problems, but any side in the world will have problems when the ball is delivered with such quality.
“When we were under pressure we showed a different side to our game. We showed that we were willing to put our bodies on the line and defend as a team.
“We had great energy and desire and all in all it was a thrilling cup tie and great entertainment for the fans.
“It was a good opportunity to see the likes of Joe Riley and Marvin Sordell and I thought that the two of them did really well.
“We have got a squad of players who want to play matches. I feel that the team right now is starting to gel and we will continue to improve as a collective unit. We want to play in a certain style and keep the ball.
“It is nice to be in the hat for the next round."