Tony Mowbray says his Sunderland side lacked the 'creativity and guile' to break down Championship strugglers Huddersfield Town as the Terriers earned a priceless away win on Wearside. Mowbray's Black Cats enjoyed more than three-quarters of the possession and racked up 27 attempts, but had only Luke O'Nien's goal just before half-time to show for it.

In contrast, Huddersfield took the lead from a corner through centre-back Michal Helik and then went back in front midway through the second half through Delano Burgzorg. "Obviously we are disappointed with the result, disappointed with the performance, we lacked a bit of energy tonight," said Mowbray.

"We lacked creativity to break down their defence as well. It wasn't a day where we had to show huge amounts of effort, it was a day where we had to show huge amounts of creativity and guile and I'd suggest that was sadly lacking.

"We know how they play and what they were going to do. I was frustrated with the performance really because it's not the first time we have faced a team that puts a lot of men behind the ball and it's not the first time we have struggled to break them down and score goals.

"It was a frustrating night for us. I was disappointed with the goals we gave away, one a set-piece and the second was a ridiculous goal really. There are no excuses. We have to congratulate them, say well done for playing their game and making it difficult for us and getting the points. We have to try and be better on Saturday [at Millwall]."

This defeat came hard on the heels of Saturday's 2-0 reverse at the hands of another side at the wrong end of the table, Plymouth Argyle, in what has been a very poor five days for the Black Cats. They went into the weekend sitting in sixth place but have now dropped to 11th in the table.

As for Huddersfield, this was only their second win in 12 games and while they remain fourth-bottom, they are now six points above the drop zone.

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