Keane - We could still go down

Black Cats boss tells players to cut out basic errors after defeat

Last updated: 20th April 2008

Roy Keane Sunderland manager

Keane: Anger

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Roy Keane said his players gave Newcastle a 'helping hand' in their 2-0 defeat at St James' Park - and he believes relegation is a real possibility.

Michael Owen opened the scoring with a header after just four minutes when he caught Paul McShane off guard, and he won and converted a penalty just before half-time.

Although Sunderland dominated the game for long spells in the second half, they really created any clear-cut chances, and Keane believes they had all but lost the game after 45 minutes.

"We let in two bad goals at possibly the worst times in the game," he told Sky Sports.

"Second half, obviously we've done a bit better but the game was probably over at half-time."

Injuries

Keane had to contend with a number of omissions for the game, and late injuries to Jonny Evans and Phil Bardsley in particular upset his plans as he had to change his back four for the first time in seven games.

However, he insists the team he sent out could easily have got a result had it not been for the basic errors.

"We lost players over the last few days, but you can't make excuses.

"The team was strong enough and good enough to get a good result today and I was bitterly disappointed because we gave them a helping hand today.

"We made it quite easy for them in terms of the goals we gave away. You come to a derby, you don't want to concede in the first four minutes. Even at 1-0, I was thinking, 'Just get into half-time' and we couldn't even shut up shop until then.

"It was two bad goals to give away and we did exactly the same last week, so we're making it very hard for ourselves."

Relegation

Sunderland are now just five points clear of the relegation zone following the result, and Keane believes they will end up fighting for their Premier League status on the final day if they do not improve their form.

"I've been saying over the last couple of months that I'm sure it'll go down to the last weekend, and that hasn't changed. I think there'll be plenty of twists and turns.

"People were telling me a couple of weeks ago we were safe and I kept insisting we weren't and it goes to prove we need to get over that finishing line over the next few weeks."