Callum Lang has accepted culpability for a key mistake in the defeat at Sunderland.

The man who’s been a standout performer for John Mousinho’s side has admitted his error in the build-up to the only goal of the game at the Stadium of Light.

Lang’s loose pass from his side’s throw-in led to the Blues conceding possession and the home side breaking, with Wilson Isidor finishing emphatically.

The Scouser acknowledged his role in the big moment, with Mousinho unhappy with the sloppiness shown from his side.

Lang said: ‘It was a loose pass from myself to Connor and they’ve broke.

‘It’s something they do well and it’s a disappointing one for them to break on us and put it into the back of the net early on. I think it’s just disappointing to concede in that way and it’s something we have to keep working on to make right.

‘But I felt we were a lot more confident than we have been in other away games.

‘There’s a lot a stuff that we’ve been working on and I felt we looked a lot more solid and a threat on the counter.

‘They dealt with the threat on the counter quite well but we are a threat when we break with me and Murph along with Colby. I think they probably dealt with it well, so it’s quite a tough one to take on such a long journey. We have to make sure we just keep building to our next away games.’

Pompey once again dug deep to emerge from credit when facing one of the Championship’s promotion contenders - and could have come away with a return if they’d taken one of the presentable chances which came their way.

Lang feels the performance means his side don’t lose the impetus they’ve been gaining this season.

He added: ‘I don’t think we lose momentum. We know what we can do at home and our home form is really important. That’s picked up of late and that’s something we need to keep on top with.

‘But away from home we haven’t been good enough, so we need to keep working towards that.

‘We’ve got two away games now where we can show what we can do - and if we perform like that I think we’ll be going in the right direction.’