LIVERPOOL -- Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce admitted he was surprised by his team's comeback in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
Allardyce's men had been outclassed until their rally in the final 10 minutes, when Adam Johnson scored on an 82nd-minute free kick and Jermain Defoe's neat finish in the 89th minute brought them level.
Asked if he had seen it coming after his side created so little until Johnson's goal, Allardyce replied: "No. Did you?
"A bit of quality can always change a game," he said. "It's a strange old game -- against Manchester City in midweek we created more chances than they did [but lost].
"When we scored we had more belief about us, and if you've got someone like Jermain Defoe up front, you've got a chance. Coming from 2-0 down at Anfield is great credit to the players for never saying die."
Allardyce was reluctant to cite the Liverpool supporters' walkout as a cause of the turnaround, saying he believes home crowds across the country are eager for success and add to the pressure on players.
He was grateful, though, to Defoe for capitalising on the Reds' collapse as Sunderland continue to battle to avoid relegation.
"A crowd has an effect on any player," said Allardyce. "It can lift them, or have an effect when the crowd get a bit edgy.
"In the Premier League today across the board, maybe it's why we see a lot of away wins now. Liverpool got a bit nervous when we scored and we took advantage.
"But I have to say the quality of the second goal by Jermain, I don't think anyone could have stopped it. He could be our saviour.
"We didn't play well enough to say we missed a chance of victory. We defended well enough but didn't do well enough in possession."