Sunderland 2 West Ham Utd 1:AS HALF-TIME approached Alan Curbishley produced a pad and pen from his pocket and, presumably preparing to address West Ham's players, began making notes. A few yards to the left Roy Keane stood scowling with arms firmly folded and the genesis of an impending homily fast developing in his head.
Not the type to rely on props, Sunderland's manager invariably ad libs team talks. By all accounts they are frequently transfixing and sometimes quirky but the Corkman's interval speech on Saturday was his most powerful yet.
"The gaffer was as passionate as I've ever seen him," said Kieran Richardson, once a Manchester United team-mate of Keane's. "He gave us a history lesson at half-time. He's a great manager."
Lucky to be level at the break, Keane's side were surrendering possession alarmingly cheaply and neglecting to close players down. With Bolton then ahead against Arsenal, Sunderland's relegation worries appeared set to intensify and their manager knew it was imperative to seize the moment.
"At half-time I reminded the players that this is a big season in the history of a big club and just what a significant game this was," said Keane. "I got a reaction."
Andy Reid's connection with Carlos Edwards's cross and stoppage-time volley duly provided Sunderland with a deserved win and their first consecutive Premier League victories for seven years.
"The gaffer reminded us that it was 126 games since this club had won successive games at this level and he made sure that really sunk in," explained Richardson. "I'd been giving the ball away far too much but he told me in no uncertain terms to get a grip."
Suddenly West Ham - debilitated by injuries - found themselves pressed mercilessly into submission and increasingly unable to summon answers to the defensive questions posed by Reid's passing.
While it may be pushing it to suggest he is Sunderland's answer to Ferenc Puskas, few would deny the Dubliner appears the antithesis of the "modern" Premier League midfielder. Or that he has transformed Keane's side since arriving from Charlton in January.
Curvier, slower and generally less athletic than his more conventional counterparts he may be but Reid boasts the sharpest football brain and the best left foot in Sunderland's dressing-room.
Like his manager he can see the bigger picture and routinely spots openings before anyone else. Able to deliver laser-like long-range passes with minimal backlift, he compensates for lack of pace by the sort of adhesive touch that enables him to control and release the ball more quickly than most.
Significantly his passes played a key part in the preamble to Kenwyne Jones's tapped-in equaliser after Sunderland's defensive negligence had enabled Freddie Ljungberg to open the scoring with a low, angled and deflected shot.
"Andy's different from the others I've got here," reflected Keane. "I played alongside him for Ireland and, although I had to carry him in a few games, I knew Andy was good. He can handle the ball. He's a laid-back type of lad who enjoys a few drinks and a sing-song and I thought that, mentally, he'd also be fine in front of our big crowds. A lot of players can't perform in front of 40,000 to 50,000 people but Andy can."
A youthful hit at Nottingham Forest, Reid lost his way at Tottenham Hotspur before joining Charlton Athletic. "I'm never sure Tottenham is the best choice for a young player," said Keane, who began his own career at Forest before moving to United.
West Ham have a long tradition of youth development and Anton Ferdinand ranks among their brightest graduates. But his display here was too often slapdash; he was at fault for Reid's winner. It contrasted markedly with that of Sunderland's equally elegant but defensively far meaner Jonny Evans, whose game was encapsulated by a vital, impeccably timed, first-half tackle on Dean Ashton.
Their goal apart, West Ham, who, having used all three substitutes, were reduced to 10 men in the 87th minute when Ljungberg was carried off on a stretcher with a hamstring injury, barely threatened Craig Gordon's goal.
Maybe Curbishley should ask Keane for some tips on delivering rousing half-time speeches.
