'A fantastic occasion and the win puts the icing on the cake'
· Yahoo Sports
Former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett said Regis Le Bris' side collecting three points in their Europa League opener against AZ Alkmaar is "fantastic" but they "need to put their shooting boots on" for future games.
The Black Cats dominated their opponents in terms of shots and shots on target but needed a second-half Enzo Le Fe penalty to break the deadlock in front of a vociferous home crowd at The Stadium of Light.
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"They had chances to score before but it's a learning curve for Sunderland in Europe," Bennett told BBC Radio Newcastle post-match.
"We created opportunities and you have to say we should have scored two or three goals. But, overall, it was a good performance. They will get better.
"What more can you ask for in the first game? Clean sheet, you get a win, you move on and there is another big game on Sunday.
"Getting three points on the board is fantastic - a good start to the European campaign.
"When we needed to defend, we did. We put bodies on the line when called upon and [Robin] Roefs made a couple of good saves.
"It's been a fantastic occasion and the win just puts the icing on the cake. The performance was good, we now need to dust ourselves off for Sunday.
"But, they need to put their shooting boots on. That's for sure."
Listen to the full discussion below or on BBC Sounds