Tony Pulis "delighted" with his players

Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has hailed his players for 'giving everything' in the goalless draw against fellow Premier League relegation battlers Sunderland.

Eagles' keeper Julian Speroni was called into action on a couple of occasions to keep the score level, but Palace had a chance to win the contest through Kagisho Dikgacoi in the dying seconds after he was played through by Cameron Jerome.

"Julian Speroni has had two proper saves to make and I am delighted with the players," Pulis is quoted as saying by the Croyden Advertiser. "They have given it everything and that is all I can ask.

"I have just seen the chance Dikgacoi missed late on and that was probably the best of the game. We haven't got the quality of some clubs but the players have big hearts.

"There is half-a-dozen players who have not played at the Stadium of Light, so coming here, Gus [Poyet] had wound the supporters up, I thought they were really behind their team today and shouted and screamed for every decision and every ball."

The point leaves Palace three points above the relegation zone.