KEANE'S FAITH IN LIKELY LAD JOHN !!!!!!!
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/sunderland/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/07/08/15/SOCCER_Birmingham_Quotes.html&TEAMHD=sunderland&DIV=prem&TEAM=SUNDERLAND&RH=Sunderland&PREV_SEASON=Sunderland boss Roy Keane was convinced all along that Stern John would become his latest last-minute saviour at St Andrews.
So it proved, as the visitors snatched a dramatic Premier League point off Birmingham.
Former Blues favourite John was given an ovation by the home fans when he appeared as a 60th-minute substitute; then he scored the 90th-minute leveller in a 2-2 draw, which followed Sunderland's last-gasp 1-0 win against Tottenham on Saturday.
Keane said: "I knew he'd score, because in the corridor here I saw a picture of him scoring as a Birmingham player. A lot of players go back to their old club and have a tendency to score.
"It usually happens, so I was confident he would score. I keep saying it is not a coincidence to score so many late goals, because the desire and determination was there for all to see."
Keane looked to be heading for his first Premier League defeat when Blues substitute Garry O'Connor produced a sweet left-foot finish to give his side an 81st-minute lead.
Six minutes earlier Michael Chopra - who grabbed that late winner four days ago - had cancelled out Paul McShane's first-half own goal with a stunning strike.
Keane's men produced their great escape with only 10 men after Carlos Edwards limped off with a hamstring strain, and Keane admitted: "It was my mistake - I should have taken him off earlier.
"There weren't too many chances, and I think scrappy would describe the game. It was a mad 10 or 15 minutes - but other than that I thought it was relatively poor."
Blues boss Steve Bruce was left seething at the officials who he believed missed a blatant infringement which ought to have ruled out John's equaliser.
Bruce claimed Roy O'Donovan held down goalkeeper Colin Doyle when John bundled the ball home.
He said: "I was determined to go back in the Premier League and not bleat about referees or linesmen.
"But I've seen their centre-forward jumping on my goalkeeper and stopping him getting up. I think the referee should be seeing that, because everyone else is seeing that.
"After he makes the save, he's still lying in the back of the net. The referee and linesman have missed it - which has cost us dearly - and it's a shame, because he produced a fantastic save."
Bruce admitted that like Keane he had a feeling John would make an impression.
He said: "He was a great servant here and one of my all-time favourites I have managed here.
"When I saw him warming up and the reception the crowd gave him I feared he might have an impact. But before he got there, we believe there was definitely a foul.
"But I think after looking at the two games we are better equipped than we were the last time we were in the Premier League. I am really pleased with what I've seen."
