TONY MOWBRAY will hope his transfer market prayers are answered soon, because it doesn’t take a genius to work out that Sunderland need a new striker, and fast.

Mind you, a change in luck certainly wouldn’t go amiss either. The Black Cats had none of it at Deepdale on Saturday, that’s for sure, as their underwhelming start to the new season continued with a painful defeat at the hands of Preston.

For the second weekend in succession, Mowbray was left scratching his head as his side somehow came out on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline. And for the second weekend in succession, he was left to rue the absence of both a proven number nine and a bit of good fortune. Without those two key elements, the Championship can be an unforgiving place indeed.

As they had done against Ipswich Town on the opening day of the campaign, Sunderland played well for large spells in Lancashire. Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts created havoc with their skill and speed on the flanks, while the performance of Pierre Ekwah in midfield will have offered encouragement not only to Mowbray, but to the 5,600 travelling supporters who ensured that the Bill Shankly Kop was, by some distance, the loudest and most colourful part of this famous old stadium.

But while Sunderland dominated possession, took more shots, forced more corners and generally looked the better and more cohesive team, they were once again undone by a couple of unfortunate deflections, and by their inability to turn brightness, sharpness and territorial dominance into goals.

The goal they did score came from the penalty spot, Clarke converting clinically to make it 1-1 after he had been pulled down in the box by Jordan Storey just after the half-hour mark. It was, however, one of only four efforts they had on target across the 90 minutes.

Preston, in fairness, only managed two themselves, and both of those owed plenty to luck.

Will Keane certainly knew little about the opening goal, diverting Mads Frokjaer’s shot beyond a wrong-footed Anthony Patterson after 25 minutes - a carbon copy of Nathan Broadhead’s opener for Ipswich at the Stadium of Light last weekend.

Keane was inadvertently involved in North End’s second too, deflecting Alan Browne’s pass into the path of Frokjaer to score on the counter-attack after Jobe Bellingham had given the ball away carelessly in midfield. A useful lesson for the 17-year-old, who showed only flashes before being replaced by Alex Pritchard midway through the second half.

Pritchard, in fairness, made a decent impact off the bench, as did the pacy Abdoullah Ba. Neither, though, could find a way through a dogged Preston defence, and despite their best efforts, nor could the livewire duo of Clarke and Roberts.

Mowbray had started with new signing Bradley Dack as his number nine, but while the 29-year-old is clearly an experienced, smart and diligent footballer, the former Blackburn Rovers man offered little by way of goal threat. He didn’t manage a single shot, and had only one touch in the Preston box during his 66 minutes on the pitch.

His replacement, Hemir, fared little better. The Portuguese youngster was anonymous as Sunderland fruitlessly chased a way back into the game in the closing stages.

They had their chances. Roberts drew a reflex save from goalkeeper Freddie Woodman after being picked out in the box by Clarke, Ba hesitated when sent through by Pritchard, and captain Luke O’Nien sent a header inches wide from a corner. In the final moments, a well-worked free-kick allowed Pritchard the chance to shoot, but his effort was deflected wide en route to the bottom corner.

It summed up Sunderland’s day, in many ways. Close, but not close enough. This, clearly, is a good team, but if it wants to match or exceed last season’s showing then it needs to find a clinical edge, and sharpish.

The return of Stewart, of course, will help, and it would be wise to give Dack a bit of time to find his feet on Wearside, given some of his previous exploits in the division. Keep him fit and he’ll be an asset, for sure.

Mowbray, though, knows that for all the positives he can take from performances, this has been a bruising start. Sunderland could and perhaps should have six points on the board by now, but instead they have none, and they’re out of the Carabao Cup for good measure.

Rotherham next weekend suddenly looks big. Bigger than it should, for an August fixture.