"That was a good psychological boost for us - but I am confident we would have won today even playing against 11 men for the whole game.
"We are a lot nearer the play-off spots ourselves but we have to win three or four games in a row to really make our mark.
"When Langley was brought down my immediate thought was a penalty and a yellow card. Instead we saw a red card and a free-kick which produced the opening goal.
"The players I replaced have just come back from international duty and fortunately I was able to give them a rest.
"Alan Lee did well to get a goal after coming on so late but Langley's goal was a super effort and the lad worked really hard all day.
"Willie Boland has worked hard to improve his game no end and deserved to be man of the match and I don't know why he can't get into the Irish squad.
"Sunderland showed that they can play football - but our third goal really killed them off."
Mick McCarthy
"It's not been the best afternoon but things are coloured by incidents - fair enough, it was 4-0 but would it have been if we had had everybody on the pitch?
"I doubt it very much, but we had a player sent off and conceded straight from the free-kick so we were punished doubly really. We'll never know whether it was a good or bad performance really - but the ref made the decision and I have no arguments with that decision.
"Then we were chasing the game with 10 men - and I take full responsibility for the second half because I would rather have a go and lose 4-0 than sit back and get battered.
"Tommy Smith got through and Jeff Whitley had two great chances and Gary Breen headed over. And I think we proved we can play football even with 10 men against 11 and we had a lot of possession in the second half."
"Their third goal killed us off - it was very unlikely we would get back into it after that and it was disappointing. But if we'd had 11 men there's no way it would've been 4-0 because they weren't much better than us.
"I wouldn't knock my players for work-rate or effort - but it was just one of those days and we've got to get on with it."