After playing a grand total of just 112 minutes of league football before last Saturday, Will Grigg no doubt would have been champing at the bit when he heard he'd be starting from the off against MK Dons.

Sadly for him, the 29-year-old failed to repay Phil Parkinson's faith, with Sunderland going down 2-1. The game will be remembered for his frankly incredible miss from close range, and the Black Cats boss admitted after the game that it was a costly one.

He said: "Firstly, he worked his socks off for the team. He needed the game (against Mansfield) last week.There had been a couple of times where he was going to play but had just picked up little niggles. Physically I thought he was better today than he was last week.

"He knows it was a bad miss. He is the first one to hold his hand up in the dressing room because he knows those chances have to be made to count."

Whilst it's all well and good that Grigg is prepared to own up to his huge gaffe, that surely shouldn't cut it for a side trying to hunt down a promotion place this season in League One.

The 29-year-old was given his chance to shine against the Dons, and he failed to take it, and Parkinson really has to make a ruthless call on his misfiring striker.

It was no surprise that after the game, some Sunderland fans were particularly frustrated with Griggs' performance, with some even calling for him to never play for the club again.

With a game against Doncaster on the horizon, Parkinson can appease some of the Black Cats' fans by dropping Griggs from the starting line-up. There are no excuses.