#INSERT type:image caption:Jermain Defoe was unable to score on his Sunderland debut. END#
Sunderland boss Gus Poyet said he believed his side should have had a penalty in their 2-1 defeat to Spurs at White Hart Lane -- and that would have enabled Jermain Defoe to score on his debut against one of his former clubs.
Defoe struggled to make an impact before being substituted in the 74th minute, although the 32-year-old could have won a penalty when he tumbled over Jan Vertonghen's leg in the first half.
"He started brightly, he was sharp,'' Poyet said. "If he got the penalty and he scores, we're talking about a great debut. The referee, though, didn't see what everybody else saw clearly.
"Defoe was looking for his chance, and I played him a bit longer than expected. He will get better and better, and when he gets that first chance he will put the ball in the back of the net.
"It was a good start and a great place for him to start playing for us."
Sunderland remain 16th in the table, one point above 18th-placed Hull, who play West Ham on Sunday.
They had seemed on track for a point until Christian Eriksen scored in the 88th minutes, and Poyet said: "When the winning goal is so late, it hurts, but it is part of football -- you have to be good until the last minute, not the 88th or the 89th."