PAOLO DI CANIO thinks Sunderland could be the architects of their own downfall unless they cut out the sort of mistakes which landed them in trouble last night.

The Black Cats came from behind to claim a point against Stoke City at the Stadium of Light despite trailing to a Jon Walters goal when Di Canio's team were reduced to ten men.

Full-back Craig Gardner dived recklessly in to a tackle and left his studs on Charlie Adam just in front of the dug-outs and received an instant red card from referee Lee Mason.

It means Sunderland are without Gardner and Stephane Sessegnon – who was dismissed for serious foul play in the defeat to Aston Villa a week earlier – for the remaining two games in the relegation run-in.

And after watching his defence deal miserably with a routine corner in to the penalty box which Walters forced over the line at the second attempt, Di Canio has warned that errors have to be cut out.

“This is a massive point for us because it wasn't easy,” said Di Canio. “We gave an easy goal away then Stoke had five or six giants compared to our physical presence.

“Then Craig Gardner had a bad challenge … in some way we must be masochists. I love Craig, because he has heart, passion and dedication. He is an amazing professional, but we have to be careful because we do not have time to recover from our mistakes. This point could be crucial.

“Craig is out now, what can I say to him? They just have to try to do the right things. It can happen. It was a mistake.”

After a disappointing first half from Sunderland, Di Canio watched his players come to life after the restart and level just after the hour when John O'Shea converted Seb Larsson's corner.

Sunderland could actually have won it, but in the end they had to be grateful for a point which has lifted them up to 15th on 38 points - three clear of third from bottom Wigan, whose game in hand is at home to Swansea tonight.

Di Canio hasn't decided whether to watch Wigan's crucial fixture. He said: “Last time I watched them they won, I want to relax. I am Pinnochio.”

And the Italian added: “We have got our destiny in our own hands because we are in a better position than Wigan, Newcastle and Norwich now. It is still in our hands our destiny. All the points we have got since my arrival we have deserved, we have to keep going.

“We have two games to go but Saturday's game at home to Southampton will be really, really crucial. We have to do everything to win this game, I presume we can stay up with 41 points but you never know and that is what we will have if we can win the next game.”

After showing signs of frustration in the first half, Di Canio was impressed by the way his players responded to pull themselves back in to a game when things started to get edgy.

He said: “Can you imagine if we had lost this? There would have been more pressure against Southampton. We saw the fighting quality of them. The fact that they were warriors, the shape and the organisation as well.

“We completed the game with ten men and we deserved something more from this because we went out in the second half with a combination of passion and desire.” While Sunderland struggled to create things in the final third, Adam Johnson was the one constant menace throughout to Stoke's defence and Di Canio is keen to see more invention in the final third – even without Sessegnon.

“Johnson and James McClean … Danny Graham ran for 70 minutes,” said Di Canio. “All of these things will be crucial at the end of the season. If we do the right things then we will stay up.

“Stephane and Adam are the stand out players for us. They are crucial players for us. We have to improve to play more together in the future, but it's step-by step. We have to share the responsibility around.

“But tonight Adam had a fantastic performance. He was up and down all game. Even in the first half when he started behind Danny, he did the right things. He was the danger man for them in the right area. He is a crucial man for us.”