REGIS Le Bris praised his tired Sunderland players for digging deep at the end of a frantic spell of games to get over the line and beat Portsmouth.

The Black Cats were much the better team for long stages against 10-man Pompey but had to endure a nervy late spell as the visitors pushed for an unlikely equaliser.

But Sunderland stood firm and Wilson Isidor's early goal was enough to secure a second successive home win and moved Le Bris' side to within three points of leaders Leeds United.

Le Bris said: "The early goal was important and it opened the game as we expected, but Portsmouth did well with their own direct style of play. They were direct, won second balls and in the first half we struggled to manage this situation.

"When we did that, we felt we could create chances to score. We were not passive but we suffered a little from this part of their game. Second half we did this better, we had 24 shots and some big chances. I was pleased because the team could have lost their emotional control and they didn't.

"It was their fifth game in 15 games, and right now we have a short squad. We can't expect a great level of play for the entire game, it's not possible. But we showed that we wanted to win the game, that we were connected even when it was a little bit more difficult and we knew that it would be this way, because they are very good at their own style of play.

"It's not easy to unbalance this team and at the end, we showed that even despite this we were very connected with the game."

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Le Bris again partnered Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda as a front two and played 4-4-2.

"There are always two phases in the game, and with the extra striker we can have more threat in behind," he said.

"On the opposite side, we have to control the middle and this is more difficult at the moment. But today, I don't think this was the main problem to solve.

"We knew before the game when we analysed them that we would have to control their long balls and the battle around this. We did well with our strengths and we don't have the tallest players in the league, but we were brave and defended together, and in the end we found a solution."

Le Bris again gave Aji Alese the nod over Dennis Cirkin but swapped his left-backs at half-time.

Explaining the change, he said: "Aji was feeling ill, and Dennis was ready so we had that option on the bench."