Roy Keane was delighted after Sunderland beat Boro 3-2 to ensure their Premier League survival.
Black Cats boss now planning for the future
Roy Keane was delighted after Sunderland beat Middlesbrough 3-2 to ensure their Premier League survival.
Boro took the lead in the fourth minute through a Tuncay Sanli shot but the Black Cats levelled just two minutes later when Danny Higginbotham rose well to head home.
Michael Chopra then gave Sunderland the lead in first-half injury time but Afonso Alves equalised in the 73rd minute.
But Emanuel Pogatetz headed in an injury-time own goal from a Sunderland corner under pressure from Daryl Murphy to give the Black Cats victory.
Keane said: "I think it has summed up our season really - we started badly, gave some bad goals away, we scored one or two good goals and we scored the winner in injury time.
Cracking game
"But I thought it was a cracking game, absolutely cracking game and credit to Middlesbrough because they came and had a right go as you'd expect."
Keane said conceding so early was a big blow but replying so quickly was the turning point of the game.
"I think basically that was the turning point of the game and again our substitutions had a big contribution when they came on today.
"As I said it was a tight game but we managed to nick it."
Keane paid tribute to the front pairing of Kenwyne Jones and Michael Chopra, who he believes were outstanding.
Asked how important it is now for Sunderland to consolidate, he added: "I think this season is probably one of the biggest in the club's history because, as you said, it has been up and down, up and down - there has been no stability I think at the football club but hopefully this will give us the chance now.
"We know we are short in terms of players - our squad has been stretched so much over the last two months with the injuries.
Credit
"But if we didn't have the character and the desire the players have shown, trust me, we would have been well adrift with the likes of Derby, so all credit to them for that.
"We hung in there, we stayed in the race and the players deserve all the plaudits they are going to get over the next week or two."
