KELVIN DAVIS admits he is learning what a Premiership goalkeeper is about, the hard way - by conceding goals.

Despite being regarded as one of the Football League's top talents between the posts, Davis is embarking on his first campaign as a No 1 at a top-flight club.

And the 27-year-old is quickly realising the difference between the two levels.

Davis was forced to pick the ball out of the net twice against Manchester City on Tuesday, as Sunderland lost their third successive match of the season.

He has now conceded six in his opening league outings for the Black Cats and is not expecting things to become any easier.

Clinical strikes from Darius Vassell and Trevor Sinclair proved the difference on a night when Sunderland failed to really test England keeper David James.

But Davis - after watching another encouraging display against City from his team-mates - does think Sunderland will adjust and allayed fears of the club's poor start continuing.

"The difference in this league is lads hit the target - that's something I have picked up on straight away," said Davis.

"Players in this league will strike on goal and give you something to do.

"I have to be alert to that and try to be as equal as I can. I have to do my job but the defence also has to try to defend as well as they can. If we do that then we will be able to cope with what the other teams throw at us."

What frustrated Sunderland the most was actually being the better team for long spells of the game at the Stadium of Light.

Having been lifted by losing to the narrow goal at Anfield at the weekend confidence had been boosted and hopes were high of a victory in the club's second home game of the campaign.

Davis, a summer signing from Ipswich, admitted: "We felt we played very well at Liverpool and that instilled more belief in us and it showed in our performance.

"Even at 2-0 down we were not going to sit back and take a hiding and we came back strong.

"But we still haven't taken any points from three games and, in saying that, we would have taken a poor performance and a point. On the positive side the lads are all feeling upbeat."

Manager Mick McCarthy, who has tied up a deal for former Strasbourg midfielder Christian Bassila, is hoping that is just the case.

After losing their opening Premiership fixtures to established Premiership sides, Sunderland travel to the JJB Stadium on Saturday to face a side in similar circumstances.

Wigan, who finished runners-up to McCarthy's men in the Championship last season, will be looking at this fixture as the perfect platform to kick-start their survival bid.

And Davis said: "We felt that we would travel to Wigan with a win from the City game behind us and that it would stand us in good stead, but it's not to be.

"Now they are in a likewise position and are very similar in terms of standard. They are still looking to improve their squad, like we are. They may have strengthened but maybe not to the standard everybody would have liked. It's a big game we know we can win."

* Tickets for Saturday's trip to Wigan must be bought before 5.30pm on Friday. The game is all-ticket. There are still a limited number of tickets available for the Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, September 10, priced £48.

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