Sunderland got their first league win of the season this weekend, beating rivals Portsmouth 2-1 at the Stadium of Light, but EFL on Quest pundit Gary Rowett believes they still have changes to make.

After two draws in their opening fixtures, the pressure was on the Black Cats to produce a result on home soil. The afternoon didn't start well for them as Pompey took an early lead through winger Marcus Harness.

Jordan Willis levelled the game in the 27th minute and just before half time, Chris Maguire put them into the lead. Having shown great resilience to bounce back from 1-0 down, they saw out the rest of the fixture in front of 29,000 fans.

Former Derby County manager Gary Rowett believes they showed great character in coming back from a goal down to keep their unbeaten start to the season intact.

“It is a nice thing to be able to do, go behind and have the character, resilience and belief to come back and win the game," he said, speaking to EFL on Quest on Saturday evening.

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“The expectation, a side as big as Sunderland and that fan base, they should go straight back up so the pressure will be on to turn loads of their draws into wins."

Rowett, no stranger to pressure in the dugout, also believes manager Jack Ross needs to make changes to the club's culture if he's going to keep them on the right track.

“The manager Jack Ross, yes he needs to get Sunderland winning, yes he needs to get Sunderland promoted but he has to change the mentality and culture within the club”

The Black Cats face Rochdale at Spotland on Tuesday night before AFC Wimbledon visit on Saturday.

The Verdict

This was a huge win for Sunderland; they had to get their season up and running. The victory against Accrington will have been a big boost for them in midweek and again they came back from a goal down.

It does show a certain amount of character, but to do it on their own turf is perhaps more impressive. The big crowd means a tough atmosphere and when they do concede that atmosphere can change quickly.

However, the pressure is still on. Supporters will expect six points from their next two matches; both should be winnable matches. Anything less and Jack Ross is once again going to be feeling the heat, such is the life of a man in charge of a big club in the third tier.