Martin O'Neill has conceded that Everton were the better side after Sunderland were knocked out of the FA Cup last night.
The Toffees saw off the Black Cats with a 2-0 win at the Stadium of Light.
"Everton were better than us, they deserved to win the game," O'Neill said. "We didn't perform well enough - we didn't perform at all, and that's really disappointing.
"We were ready for the night and to see the sort of atmosphere just before kick-off, the noise level, was something we should experience more often here at the Stadium of Light.
"It was a great evening, a great night for football and we disappointed."
Sunderland now turn their attention to the Premier League, where they currently sit in eighth place, just two points off Liverpool.
