AFTER getting wet and cold during the turgid encounter with Reading, I must admit to questioning if the 600-mile plus round trip to Sunderland would be worth it.

It most certainly was! We put in an exceptional performance and came back with a more than a deserved point, and even could have snatched all three.

For the second time in three days we held one of the top four teams in the Championship and made them look pretty ordinary.

The Reading game was an awful affair played out in terrible conditions; we had a couple of shaky moments at the back, but the thing that will live longest in the memory is the performance of referee Steve Bennett.

Much maligned in the Premiership, I thought the positions Bennett got himself into were excellent, not least when disallowing Glen Little’s late header.

It’s not often that I can say I thought the referee did a good job, so Bennett should be very proud of himself!

We had to make three changes ahead of the trip to face Stan Ternent’s boyhood heroes Sunderland on Monday, with Nyron Nosworthy, Alan Pouton and Mama Sidibe all sitting out.

Special praise must go to Darius Henderson – who capped a fine performance with the opening goal – and Ian Cox, who was outstanding in defence. I’ve not been Cox’s biggest fan in recent weeks, but he didn’t put a foot wrong against a Sunderland side that absolutely battered us at Priestfield.

The final whistle was still a brilliant moment. I’m told Sunderland were booed off, but I was too busy cheering our lads to notice.

We are four points behind Cardiff, but it doesn’t matter. If we keep picking up points it makes no difference what anyone else does. This time last year we were 15th in the table and Walsall were 13th and look where we both ended up.

Someone will get dragged into the mire, which is enough to give us hope for the months ahead, and on current form, I think we look well placed to take advantage of it.

Pompey await us in the cup at the weekend. It's not an ideal tie, but one that would be an impressive scalp. If we play like we did on Monday, you never know...

Up the Gills!