Journalist James Copley believes there is 'something special' going on at Sunderland after their dramatic FA Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town.

The Lowdown: Memorable win for Sunderland

The Black Cats made the trip to their League One opponents on Saturday afternoon, looking to take their Championship form (17 points from last 24) with them into the cup competition.

For a long time, it looked as though Tony Mowbray's side would be on the wrong end of a shock result, but they struck twice in stoppage time to seal a thrilling 2-1 win.

It was the latest show of team spirit and quality by Sunderland as they booked their place in round four, and it didn't go unnoticed after the match.

The Latest: 'Something special' happening

Taking to Twitter, Copley hailed what he is seeing at the Stadium of Light currently, as the Black Cats dug deep to steal a late victory, just as they did at home to Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day.

The Sunderland Echo journalist gushed:

"There's just something special about this group of players at Sunderland at the moment. Brilliant."

The Verdict: Great period for Sunderland

After some grim times of late, including four years in League One, Sunderland have turned things around over the past 12 months and are now in a great place on the pitch, sitting just one point outside the Championship play-offs.

Saturday's last-gasp triumph was perfect proof of the belief that Mowbray has instilled in his players, and that can only bode well as they look to secure promotion to the Premier League this year.

That refusal to accept defeat can be a priceless asset to have in a team's armoury, and Copley is right to point out the feel-good factor currently abounding at Sunderland following their latest late, late show.