"We looked shattered - we were a yard off the pace," said Megson.
"It was a lot to ask the lads after two hours at Newcastle to come up against a very good team like Sunderland.
"I am relieved in a way but pleased in another because I think most teams would have lost that game.
"I don't think we played well but we took a point off a good team.
"We haven't lost a great deal of ground. It's difficult to hold onto that top spot in the table but I have said all along no-one is going to run away with it."