Chris Wilder admitted Watford 'got sloppy' and 'ran out of steam' as the Hornets blew a two-goal lead against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Wilder's team arrived on Wearside having already seen their chances of making the play-offs evaporate on the back of a run of just one win in seven games.
But they looked to be on the verge of putting a massive dent in Sunderland's own play-off ambitions thanks to set-piece goals from Christian Kabasele in the first half and Ryan Porteous 20 minutes from time. However, Luke O'Nien immediately pulled one goal back for the Black Cats and Patrick Roberts scored a stunning injury-time strike to salvage a 2-2 draw and boost their chances of securing a top six finish on the final day.
"We just ran out of steam," said former Middlesbrough boss Wilder. "I've talked before about there's certain things from the players point of view about their conditioning.
READ MORE: Tony Mowbray on how his 'trust' in Sunderland's talented young players is being repaid
"We really should be coming on strong in the last 10 or 15 minutes, and going toe-to-toe with them. They're a young, energetic team with a lot of legs in the team, and you need that.
"But we ran out of steam and also our quality, for me, went a bit and we got sloppy."
The instant response by Sunderland to falling 2-0 down was singled out as the key moment by Wilder. He said: "We got two goals up but I said to the players, when you do that at a place like this you can't then turn it over straightaway.
"At 2-0 we needed to see out a five or ten minute period, which we didn't do. That gave their players more energy, and then they've found a fabulous finish right at the end.
"The gap between our second goal and their first was too short for our own good. You need to take the heat out of the game and we didn't.
"We basically handed them a route back into the game. We showed a bit of resilience, but whoever you are and whatever division you are in, you need that.
"I imagine a lot of people thought we'd come here and roll over in front of 45,000 very passionate fans against a team with something to play for."
Sunderland's equaliser came in the fifth of seven minutes added on for stoppages and, while Wilder had no problem with the amount of injury time at the Stadium of Light, he complained about a lack of consistency and said there have been games this season where less has been added when teams have wasted time against Watford. He said: "I'm not a professional at wasting time.
"I'm not someone who is into game-killing. There is game management though, and you've seen games this season where we've been chasing it and been on the receiving end.
"We've had four or five like that - QPR away and Cardiff at home, where teams are taking game management to the next level. That led me to speak to the League Managers' Association and also the referees.
"I'm alright today with seven minutes being added on – but where were the seven minutes in the four or five games we've had? There wasn't.
"So I’m a bit aggrieved by that, but the neutrals and certainly the home fans will say they deserved something given their second-half performance and pressure. Plus you can’t get away from the fact it was a fabulous finish by Roberts.
"A brilliant bit of individual skill and a goal worthy of getting something out of the game."
READ NEXT
- Tony Mowbray says Sunderland's task is now clear with their play-off hopes resting on the final day
- Sunderland player ratings as Amad and Luke O'Nien stand out in thrilling fightback against Watford
- Sunderland fight back from 2-0 down to earn a point that could be crucial in play-off race
- Tony Mowbray losing no sleep over his Sunderland contract as he prepares to enter final year
- Sunderland made £5.1m loss in League One promotion season, latest accounts show
