Sunderland boss Roy Keane admits all the hard work behind-the-scenes will count for nothing if they fail to produce results on the pitch.

After victory over Newcastle United, Keane said: "We all know in the background, great steps are being made at the football club, and credit to Niall and the board and my staff for all that, and the players.

"But you have to do it on the day of the game. We can talk about how well the reserves are coming together, the academy, the progress we are making.

"It's great, but we know you have got to do the business on matchday. It meant a lot to the players, you saw that at the end of the game. It is important for me that they are really plugged in to what the football club is all about, the history, the lack of history, sometimes the record against Newcastle.

"But that happens in football. Manchester United went 20-odd years without winning a league title, Liverpool have gone 18, 19. These records happen where you think, 'I can't get my head around it'.

"But I know Newcastle and Sunderland have played games before here when Sunderland have been in the game with a half an hour to go, and have been beaten three or 4-1.

"But I think I have a different group of players, I have a mentally decent group."