Doncaster Rovers boss Gary McSheffrey believes his side could have been 'four or five goals' up by half-time against Sunderland - and the when the Black Cats were booed off at the break, it was 'music to my ears'.
Managerless Sunderland trailed 2-0 against League One's basement side at the interval and the crowd of more than 38,000 - the highest of the season in the third tier - let the players know exactly what they thought of the performance.
Sunderland improved in the second half but could not retrieve the deficit, with Corry Evans' last-minute goal proving too little, too late.
READ MORE: Mike Dodds left 'shellshocked' by Sunderland's first half display against Doncaster
"It's a difficult one but these players at Sunderland are top players but they’re only human," said McSheffrey.
"You're going to feel that pressure when you hear the booing at half time and the expectancy levels of coming out to beat bottom of the league.
"When you come to arenas like this you've got to quieten the crowd and when you do that they'll start turning on every poor touch and backwards pass.
"That's what happened.
"We were unlucky not to be four or five up at half time and the booing was music to my ears."
Sunderland crashed to a 6-0 defeat at Bolton last weekend while Doncaster were beaten 5-0 at home against neighbours Rotherham in midweek, but of the two sides only Doncaster produced a response.
They chalked up their first ever league win against the Black Cats, and while they are still deep in the relegation mire they moved to within eight points of safety.
McSheffrey said: "Ultimately I've asked for a response [to the Rotherham defeat] and I've got it.
"It's a massive win.
"In the first half I thought the game plan was spot on and the lads executed it perfectly.
"Bar one chance they had with a header, I thought we should have gone in three or four up.
"We were clinical but we were unlucky, we hit the post, the goalkeeper made a couple of good saves and we were unlucky with a couple rebounds.
"I thought we were well worth our two goal lead at half time.
"In the second half you’re going to weather a storm against these.
"I just asked the boys for a solid, man's performance in the second half."
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