SUNDERLAND defender Aji Alese wants to end the campaign with a win after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road.

The Black Cats had a number of good opportunities to win the game, but fell behind to a Ryan Andrews strike midway through the second-half, and as has happened so many times this season, failed to score.

For Alese, the campaign has been one blighted by injury, but he's hoping the finish the campaign on a positive note and reset in the summer.

“We had chances in the first half and the second half, which on another day we take and go into the lead. Ultimately we didn’t take them so that’s just how it panned out," he told BBC Newcastle.

"I think you can probably look at the first 25, 30 minutes and they probably penned us in a little bit and had more of the ball in our final third. They didn’t really create much and once we grew into the game we had those chances just before half time. In the second half we had chances again.

“I guess we could say for a large period of the game we were on top or were the better team but it boils down to conceding and not scoring and we ended up losing the game.”

Alese has played his part in making the Black Cats more difficult to beat, as is reflected in the expected goals chart below, but on a personal note, getting through to the end of the season unscathed, with minutes in the tank is a positive note.

The Northern Echo: Sunderland's expected goals conceded has fallen since Aji Alese returned to the side.Sunderland's expected goals conceded has fallen since Aji Alese returned to the side. (Image: StatsBomb)

"Getting minutes before the end of the season was always the aim for me," Alese added. "Staying fit, helping the team and getting back for pre-season was always the main aim. 

"We want to end on a high and give the fans something to go away into the summer with, a positive last game. Pre-season is always a fresh start. There'll be a new gaffer in, new players and maybe a new style of football. 

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"I wouldn't say it's fallen away, I still think we're playing good football and creating chances, but in the last couple of games we've struggled to score so maybe that's something that can be looked at.

"Getting ready during the off-season is the big aim."