Kevin Phillips has heaped praise on Amad Diallo and Patrick Roberts as Sunderland fell just short in their FA Cup replay with Fulham.
The English Premier League outfit came out on top in a five-goal thriller at the Stadium of Light but the former Black Cats striker applauded the efforts of his former club against higher league opposition. He believes they played 'excellent' on the night and are having a 'cracking season' to date as they bid to return to the riches of the top flight.
Diallo is one who has impressed for Tony Mowbray's side this term on loan from Manchester United as he continues his post Rangers revival. He was inches away from finding the net with his goal-bound effort cleared off the line with Phillips claiming he ran the EPL outfit 'ragged at that stage'. Ex-Celtic man Roberts also landed top marks for his performance against his former club. Fulham now face Leeds United in an all-Premier League clash in the fifth round as focus now for Sunderland swiftly turns to their Championship play-off bid.
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Speaking post-match Sunderland legend Phillips told the BBC: "I think it's every performance that Sunderland have here. They send the supporters home generally happy.
"The fans can't moan about this evening, they've come up against a Premier League side. You could see the respect that Fulham showed making the substitutions at half-time, ultimately they were the difference.
"Sunderland were excellent, they created opportunities and they got themselves back in the game. The biggest thing is, you see them laying on the ground there on their knees because they believed they could get something out of the game.
"They gave it everything. They're having a cracking season, lots of positives to take from this evening. They've only been marginally beaten by a Premier League side.
"Jack Clarke stepped up, Patrick Roberts was excellent, Diallo - you get the ball to those players and they will create opportunities. Diallo has one cleared off the line. He was running them ragged at this stage.
"The one he had cleared off the line, Fulham then go up the other end and score. It's a sucker punch. Dan Neil is unlucky there, they were really pressing hard Sunderland, creating opportunities, getting in the box, it's a great save [Rodak's to deny Roberts] it takes a deflection when you see it from another angle.
"They had really good opportunities so can count themselves unlucky."
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