Stadium of flight - Sunderland hit heights

This week, as he contemplates an important and convincing win before the Tees-Wear derby in Middlesbrough, he will temper any euphoria with a quiet word for Kenwyne Jones and Ross Wallace.

A schoolboy midfielder, Jones is a striker now and on this showing a lethal one. He embarrassed Ivar Ingimarsson with a rolling turn and caught Marcus Hahnemann with a drilled shot. Keane said he did not see the somersault which followed but no doubt he has now.

'I expect he'll be having a word with me,' admitted the striker who learned the art with his Caribbean pals. 'But I really couldn't help myself. It was fitting to the occasion and not something I do for every goal. It depends on the mood but I don't think you can top that.'

He can supply goals, too. The run and cross to lay on Wallace's first Premiership goal was as good as any winger. Unfortunately, Wallace will find himself before his manager, too, although his misdemeanour — whirling his shirt round his head — is far more serious.

It is the third time the excitable Scot has performed the act and his third booking. "If you score a goal it's the best feeling in the world. You just have to be careful," he said.

Keane does not know it yet but he actually met Jones five years ago when the Trinidadian teenager was among a group of youngsters touring European clubs on trials.

Among the £5million striker's most prized possessions is a photograph with Keane, taken before training at Manchester United.

"Did he smile?" (long pause). "No," said Jones, bravely. "He was being typical Roy Keane. Composed, picture, then move off to training."

One of Keane's first acts as Sunderland manager was to insist on photographs of previous teams and their achievements, including the 1973 FA Cup-winning side of course, being placed very prominently around the training ground.

The late Ian Porterfield touched the lives of many people and this was apparent when he was remembered on Saturday. No one appreciated that more than Keane and he was adamant that the occasion would be marked by a win.

Porterfield scored THE goal but, of course, Jim Montgomery made THE save and the longest-serving Sunderland keeper said: 'Roy came from Manchester United and can you imagine them turning round and saying, "Forget about your history, let's just look at now"? That's ridiculous but that's what one or two people at Sunderland tried to do in the past.

"The supporters appreciate the past and we've seen what they think about Ian and the 1973 Cup Final team. They've done little things here now to show what we did and what generations before did."

Sunderland dominated against Reading, the side who set a new standard last season for newcomers to the Premiership.

But this season,a downside for Reading is the number of players required for international duty.

Kevin Doyle needed rest and was missing while Stephen Hunt just went missing, although his Ireland team-'mate' Paul McShane hunted him down like a man possessed.

Bobby Convey offered inspiration as Sunderland wilted in the final 10 minutes. Dave Kitson's late header ensured a ridiculously nervy last five minutes and Reading, who had two decent penalty appeals turned down, went close in injury-time with the American's free-kick.

Reading boss Steve Coppell admitted: "What happened last year will not help us whatsoever now. It's a concern that we're in the bottom three at this stage. But we have to be big enough to accept the challenge and get ourselves out of it.

"I still feel we have a point to prove but the wide-eyed element has gone. We've got to reproduce that freshness we had last season but it's hard to do. We are judged on results and if you're not getting results you're in trouble."

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Gordon 6; McShane 7, Nosworthy 8, Higginbotham 8, Collins 6; Leadbitter 7, Yorke 6, Etuhu 6, Wallace 7 (Stokes 64mins, 6); Chopra 6 (Miller 81), Jones 9 (Murphy 85). Booked: Wallace.

READING (4-4-2): Hahnemann 5; Murty 7, Ingimarsson 6, Bikey 5, Shorey 6; Rosenior 6 (Convey 79), Gunnarsson 5 (Fae 73, 6), Harper 5, Hunt 7; Lita 7 (Long 67, 5), Kitson 6. Booked: Gunnarsson, Bikey.

Man of the match: Kenwyne Jones.

Referee: Steve Tanner.