Sunderland midfielder Andy Reid is staying tightlipped over his axing by Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni.

The Italian suggested Reid 'didn't smile enough' when he wasn't playing, but the midfielder says: "I'm not going to say anything about it. The main thing for me is to get into the Sunderland team here and do well.

"It was great to be involved in a good win for the club on Saturday, but competition is intense at the football club and that's driving everyone on.

"We hope that the second-half performance at Blackburn will kick start us.

"We've not put together a consistent run this season. We have had some difficult games, but we feel that when we play to our potential, we can be a match for most teams in the league.

"We didn't get carried away about being second-from-bottom of the league because we knew that one win could lift us a lot of places.

"The important thing was to get that win and not allow a gap to open. Now we want a run of wins to put us in a healthier position."