City created a host of chances after the break but it was not until stoppage time that Adam Johnson curled in an equaliser to cancel out Kenwyne Jones' early opener.

"We conceded a goal after nine minutes, we started the game very slowly," Mancini told Sky Sports 1.

"The firsts half we didn't play very well. The second half we played well, had six, seven, eight chances to score a goal.

"But that's football, if you don't score you don't win.

"I'm happy with the second-half performance, for the first half no."

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon admitted there was no stopping Johnson's equaliser, curled beautifully into the top corner.

"It was an unbelievable finish, right in the top corner," said the Scot.

"Nobody's keeping that one out."

He added: "They put us under an awful lot of pressure, in the second half especially. To get so close is a disappointment."

Defender Michael Turner conceded City deserved a draw.

"Craig pulled out four, five great saves in the second half," he said.

"I think on the balance of play they deserved a point."

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce felt the injury to Jones, who came off at half-time, was a key moment.

Bruce revealed the striker was forced off with a groin problem and it remains to be seen how long he will be out for.

"I think we've got to say it's a fair result overall, but when you get so close obviously it's disappointing," he said on Sky Sports 1.

"The injury to Kenwyne disrupted us today. We lost him through injury, that's the story of our season so far. We've lost too many through injury."

Bruce admitted seeing local boy Johnson score the leveller was hard to take.

"It's a wonder goal," he said. "Sod's Law it's him who we've tried to sign for the past six months."

Bruce conceded Gordon had kept his side in the game in the second half.

"The goalkeeper produced two or three great saves."