Chris Coleman apologised to Sunderland lovers after their “brutally painful” relegation to League One following a 2-1 house defeat through fellow strugglers Burton Albion.

The Black Cats’ lengthy fight to live to tell the tale in the second one tier got here to an finish when Burton overturned the house facet’s lead – secured through Paddy McNair within the 34th minute – within the remaining levels of the sport.

Former Sunderland striker Darren Bent headed the equaliser within the 86th minute ahead of Liam Boyce glanced within the winner in the second one minute of added time.

McNair had a function dominated out for handball, a choice which infuriated the house gamers as a result of referee Darren England’s preliminary determination to permit the function was once then overturned after a talk along with his assistant at the some distance facet.

That intended Sunderland’s position in League One was once showed as a result of the six level hole to protection, and Burton face relegation competitors Bolton subsequent week.

Boss Coleman, who took over from Simon Grayson in November, mentioned: “At the beginning I want to apologise to everybody for bobbing up quick, in the long run no longer having what was once wanted.

“It is a brutal revel in and the discontentment is very large. To be truthful, possibly blind optimism, 5 mins left, I believed we have been within the using seat even supposing we did not play neatly. 5 mins left the ambience was once nice, then all of it modified.

“40-four video games we’re into the season and we’ve not been excellent sufficient. I’m sorry for the supporters who’ve caught with us each and every week, adopted us, we’ve not had sufficient and we’ve fallen quick.

“I have no idea the place this membership is going. I have no idea what the plan is. We have now been having a look in relation to recruitment and gamers.

“We have now no longer been informed what is what. Once I talk with leader government Martin Bain he’s as a lot at nighttime as me. We all know the place we at the moment are and we need to say ‘that is took place, that is the plan’.

“Presently it is very uncooked, it is simply took place. It is brutally painful. I’ve been right here two mins, the supporters had been right here for years I will simplest consider how they’re feeling. I have no idea what the plan is.”