SUCH are the high standards Sunderland are setting, there was an apology from Luke O'Nien in the dressing room after Saturday's success at Portsmouth despite the fact the Black Cats had just extended their winning start to four games.

Just minutes earlier, unfortunate O'Nien had scored an own-goal that had denied Regis Le Bris' side a fourth successive clean sheet.

That came as a slight disappointment but didn't dampen Sunderland spirits after their quite brilliant first month of the Championship campaign.

"I think you could see the disappointment in Luke's face when he headed it in," said fellow defender Trai Hume.

"He apologised to the dressing room after but that wasn't necessary, we won the game and the three points is what matters."

READ MORE:

Sunderland are winning and smiling - but won't take their foot off the accelerator.

"We're enjoying our football," said Hume.

"We're on the front foot and being aggressive, trying to win games. It's nice to start well but we know that it's a long season and it's about staying consistent in our performances.

"We want to try and go for promotion but we're just trying to focus on keeping it from game to game and that's what the manager keeps telling us. It's always 'next game, game' - not looking too far ahead.

"We want to keep improving because we still think there's parts of the games where we could play better. We can keep improving. It's an ideal start, obviously, but we want to stay consistent."

As results suggest, Hume says Sunderland's players have quickly taken to Le Bris' approach, preference and demands.

He said: "We want to try and press teams whenever we can but if they break through that we're dropping into our shape and staying solid. We want to play on the front foot but that's not always going to work, the teams we play are good and there are going to be times where they play through that. As a team it's then about dropping in and defending your goal.

"I think that's something we've done really well in the first four games but it's about doing that consistently. I think you have to credit the midfield and attacking players as well, they're doing a lot of work in front of the ball and that's helping us out at the back."