Sunderland 2 West Ham United 1: Keane's history lesson quells fears of relegation

Thirty minutes after the final whistle and rubbish was blowing after West Ham United's players as they jogged around the empty Stadium of Light. It was a noiseless scene but for Gary Rowell chattering animatedly to callers on a Wearside phone-in. Rowell is one of those common ex-player figures in football, who mean less nationally than they do locally and Sunderland-born, but he captured the mood when he said: "We all feel like we are on the brink of something special here, don't we?"

Two wins in eight days should not normally be produced as evidence of something special but Sunderland's long-suffering fans knew Saturday's significance. Not since Boxing Day 2001 had Sunderland completed back-to-back Premier League victories. In tandem with Bolton's defeat, this also felt like the moment Sunderland stayed up.

Andy Reid's euphoric winner over five minutes into injury time was decisive, a nerveless volley from a natural talent that in a graph of Sunderland's rise will be awarded a red dot. And it is a rise: it is 19 months since Roy Keane sat down to observe the team, 24th in the Championship, win their first game of last season. This win left Sunderland 13th in the League above and, crucially, for the first time since 2000, looking like promotion will not be followed by immediate demotion.

Not that it appeared so likely at 4.30pm. Then Bolton and Birmingham were winning, Sunderland were drawing and Daryl Murphy was about to perpetrate the miss of the month. That was in the 81st minute and many Wearsiders who have seen their club let their hopes collapse down the years departed the ground. They should know better because Reid's late, late winner was part of a pattern of scoring that has earned Sunderland 11 of their 33 points in the last five minutes of games. In that, Keane hoped the team are becoming "a reflection of my own personality".

It had been different in the first half when Scott Parker and Dean Ashton were the most prominent players. Freddie Ljungberg gave the injury-hit Hammers an early lead and though Kenwyne Jones's first goal of 2008 made it 1-1 at the interval, during it Keane revealed his intensity.

"I had to remind them of what a significant game it was and I got a reaction," Keane said. "Sometimes you have to remind footballers where they're at and where we are, that this is a big club and this is a big season in the history of this club. We can't ever get away from that. This is a proper yo-yo club and they needed reminding."

Kieran Richardson confirmed the effect: "At half-time the manager gave us a history lesson," he said. "He reminded us it had been 126 games since this club had won successive games at this level. It was as passionate as I've ever seen the manager at half-time."

Keane's passion is reflected in attendances. By season's end Sunderland can expect to have the fourth largest home crowd in the Premier League.

A trip to Fulham now awaits and the possibility of a third straight victory that would surely seal security. Sunderland will prepare for it at a training camp in Spain to which they flew on Saturday night.

Keane finished by saying: "We know we're a million miles away from being a top-rung club. We have had a good result today, but I won't be getting pissed on the plane. We'll just get on with it. Actually, no one will be getting pissed on the plane."

Goals: Ljungberg, 18 (1-0); Jones, 29 (1-1); Reid, 90 (2-1).

Sunderland (4-4-2): Gordon; Bardsley, Nosworthy, Evans, Collins; Chopra (Leadbitter, 71), Whitehead, Reid, Richardson (Edwards, 71); Murphy (O'Donovan, 81), Jones. Substitutes not used: Fulop (gk), Yorke.

West Ham United (4-4-2) Green; Neill, Spector, Ferdinand, McCartney (Pantsil, h-t; Tomkins, 75)); Ljungberg, Parker, Mullins, Noble; Cole (Solano, 65), Ashton. Substitutes not used: Walker (gk), Boa Morte.

Booked: Sunderland Reid, O'Donovan West Ham Cole

Referee: A Marriner (West Midlands)

Man of match: Reid

Attendance: 45,690

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