FIVE days on from their Bank Holiday battering at the hands of Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland delivered a much-improved performance against Bristol City.

However, with visiting goalkeeper Max O’Leary in inspired form, the Black Cats were nevertheless left frustrated as they played out a goalless draw at the Stadium of Light.

O’Leary made a series of superb first-half saves to prevent Sunderland from claiming victory, with Mike Dodds’ side carving out a number of good opportunities to break the deadlock.

Adil Aouchiche and Bradley Dack both hit the crossbar as the Wearsiders displayed at least some of the energy, creativity and organization that had been so badly lacking against Blackburn.

However, the Black Cats were unable to find a way past an inspired O’Leary and have now won just one of their last nine matches as their season peters out.

O'Leary's first save came in the ninth minute, and saw him claw the ball away as Dan Ballard headed goalwards after a corner was nodded back across goal.

Sunderland threatened again three minutes later, only for Aouchiche to stab wide from inside the area after Dan Neil’s blocked shot rebounded invitingly into his path.

Jack Clarke was back in the Black Cats’ starting side for the first time in more than a month after recovering from an ankle injury, and the winger went close midway through the first half as he fired in a side-footed strike that was parried by O’Leary.

Bristol City’s goalkeeper was in inspired form for much of the afternoon, producing a brilliant double-save to ensure that the scoresheet remained blank shortly after the half-hour mark.

His first save prevented Jobe Bellingham from firing home from inside the area, and he then produced an even better stop to keep out Clarke’s follow-up effort.

Two minutes later, and O’Leary was at it again. This time it was Neil who was denied initially, with the Robins keeper parrying the midfielder’s shot, and when Aouchiche nodded the rebound towards goal, O’Leary displayed superb reflexes to touch the ball onto the crossbar.

Bristol City had not threatened at all at that stage, but the visitors finally recorded their first effort at goal in first-half stoppage time. Anthony Patterson parried Nakhi Wells’ angled shot, and Scott Twine’s follow-up effort would have gone in had a backtracking Luke O’Nien not produced a crucial block from just in front of the goalline.

Patterson was called into action again in the early stages of the second half, saving from Matthew James after Haydon Roberts nodded a free-kick back across goal, but with the wind swirling around the Stadium of Light, neither side was especially fluent as they pressed to try to force a breakthrough.

That said, however, Sunderland came within inches of claiming a winner with 17 minutes left. Neil flicked on Trai Hume’s cross, enabling substitute Dack to power in a diving header that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar before rebounding to safety.