'Grim,' was one reporter's take on the spectacle. 'Dire,' said another.
Even Tony Mowbray used the word 'dull' - three times - in his post-match debrief, although he was talking about his team's lack of sharpness rather than the entertainment value. Yes, Sunderland's game against Reading was a tough watch.
Partly because of Sunderland's dullness, as Mowbray described it, but mainly because of Reading's interminable timewasting tactics as they took an age over every goal-kick, free-kick, and throw-in. The first half, in particular, was a bore-fest - not that Reading boss Paul Ince would have a word said against his team's attempts to send the watching Wearside public to sleep.
READ MORE: Rattled Reading boss Paul Ince gets involved in testy exchange with BBC man after Sunderland defeat
As for Mowbray, he loves to wax lyrical about his attacking talents such as Patrick Roberts, Amad, and Jack Clarke, but this was not a day for footballing romance. This was a day for Mowbray the arch-pragmatist.
The 'we had to find a way' Mowbray. The 'put the points in the bag and move on' Mowbray. And, after an improved second half performance, Sunderland did indeed find a way.
A clever link-up down the right involving Roberts and Trai Hume ended with Roberts dancing into the penalty area, and when Chelsea loanee defender Baba Rahman looked to have broken up the attack he dawdled on the ball which allowed Roberts to pick his pocket and beat on-loan Middlesbrough goalkeeper Joe Lumley at his near post.
Sunderland had been knocking on the door in the second half, with Joe Gelhardt steering a shot just wide after being put through on goal on his home debut, Roberts had brought a good save out of Lumley as had Hume, while Aji Alese and Edouard Michut both put chances over the bar when they should have at least tested the keeper. Grim, dire, and dull, summed up Reading perfectly.
They tried to grind out a point, and perhaps try nick all three if ex-Newcastle United man Andy Carroll could get on the end of a set-piece. But Carroll and his strike partner Shane Long were well-marshalled throughout by Dan Ballard and Danny Batth, as they kept a second successive league clean sheet at home.
Sunderland were nowhere near at their best, but they did enough and that was what mattered. Perhaps, as Mowbray suggested when he spoke about dullness of mind, his young players were feeling the effects of a third game in the space of a week, having earned a draw in a physically demanding match at Millwall last weekend followed by a midweek FA Cup defeat against Premier League Fulham.
Ten of the starting XI against Reading had also started against Millwall and Fulham, and maybe on reflection Mowbray might have made changes to freshen things up, with the return to fitness of Alex Pritchard giving him another attacking option, as does January addition Isaac Lihadji who made his debut from the bench although at present his lack of English means he is set to be used as an impact sub.
There is no let-up in the schedule, either, with an away trip to Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday followed by a home game against Bristol City on Saturday, then a visit to Rotherham United the following Tuesday and then another away game at Coventry City the weekend after.
For now, though, Mowbray and his team can take pride in getting the job done against Reading. While the Royals are winless in six league games and sit 18th in the Championship table, Sunderland are up to seventh, have lost just one of their last eight league games, and lie just a point outside the play-off places.
They are continuing to find ways.
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