REGIS Le Bris says Eliezer Mayenda got the reward he deserved after the striker ended his wait for a Sunderland goal with a fine brace against Sheffield Wednesday.

Mayenda struck Sunderland's second and fourth goals in the emphatic thumping of the Owls at the Stadium of Light, with Le Bris delighted the teenager's hard work and dedication is paying off.

Sunderland are continuing their push to strengthen their forward line ahead of this month's transfer deadline but Le Bris has been impressed by Mayenda since his summer arrival and the head coach's faith was justified on Sunday.

"It's really a good example for all the team," said Le Bris.

"He wasn't a starter last season but he still wants to improve. He has many qualities but he is still young, every day during the training session and after the games he played, he wanted to find the little details he can improve on. This was the reward for him.

"I think there are two positions on the pitch where it is heavy to play, in goal and number nine because the pressure, the expectation, is very high.

"For a young boy like Eliezer, today was for sure a great experience. We also know that we need to repeat and this is the most difficult thing as a number nine and for other positions on the pitch.

"I'm happy for him because he works hard, he's very clear in the part of the games that he needs to improve. He's always sharing ideas with the coaches and his team mates, and in the end he improves. This is a good example for all the team."

Sunderland are only of only three Championship teams to win their first two games but Le Bris saw a huge improvement between the victories over Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday - and says there's a lot more to come.

He said: "For us, the idea was very clear. We have many talented players in this squad, but we need to create some strong foundations to play together and during this game this was the case. Especially the way we recovered the ball.

"We defended together, we tried to close the spaces and intercept the ball as high as possible, to be very compact, to be very strong. We felt the confidence inside the game.

"The first idea is to defend together, really. I know we have many qualities, for fast attacks for example, we have many strong players throughout the squad for this. So the game against Cardiff, for example, our high press wasn't good and our build up under pressure wasn't good.

"It's proof that the players were aware and very clear on the improvements they had to make this week.

"After this one, we have to find another step to reach. After 10 games, it will be clearer for us and everyone in the league - but this team has a great potential, for sure. If we keep this mindset and willingness to improve, we can succeed."