Southampton assistant manager Jesus Perez has admitted that Sunderland were worthy winners of the FA Cup fifth-round tie between the two sides at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
The Black Cats booked their place in the quarter-finals of the competition courtesy of Craig Gardner's 49th-minute strike.
"We are a little bit sad because we are winners and we don't want to lose any games," he told the club's official website. "But today we have to just say well done to Sunderland.
"Especially in the first half, we couldn't play how we wanted to play, particularly in possession.
"The first chance for the game came to us through James Ward-Prowse, but he couldn't score, and then in the end we had quite a few chances to equalise the result which we couldn't quite do."
The Saints face West Ham United next weekend.
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