Kenwyne Jones

By The Black Cats
January 12 2009

Kenwyne Jones has praised Sunderland's super subs for salvaging pride in the Tees-Wear derby. Thje Black Cats drew level with around 10 minutes to go and could quite easily have gone on to take all 3 points at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough.

Substitutes Andy Reid and David Healy - linked with a move to Glasgow Rangers last week - combined to create Sunderland equaliser scored by Trinidad & Tobago star Kenwyne Jones.

Sunderland had put in a poor performance until Ricky Sbragia brought made the two changes but when he did the fresh legs of Andy Reid and David Healy sparked he game into life.

And Jones said: "When things aren't going your way you hope for some inspiration from the bench, and that's what happened for us.

"We were a bit ropey in the first half, but managed to get it together in the second half, and the substitutes definitely made a difference.

"David Healy hasn't had all that many games, but it was great for him to come on and have an impact like that. He put a great ball into the box for me.

"When the January transfer window comes round you know you could lose one or two, but we hope to stick together as a squad because we feel there's more to come."

Jones is averaging a goal every other game this season after losing almost three months of the campaign to a knee injury and has already matched his goal tally of seven for last season in less than half the amount of games.

"I'm happy to score, but I'm not setting any targets other than to hopefully contribute to a winning team and get the club higher up the table," he said.

Sunderland took a big following to Teesside, but they weren't rewarded until late in the game, when Carlos Edwards saw a header cleared off the line moments after Jones's leveller.

There were appeals from Sunderland that the ball had crossed the line before Boro's Wearside-born sub Adam Johnson managed to hook it clear, but replays suggested the officials got it right in not giving a goal.

Jones confessed: "We had to appeal for it because it looked like it was just over the line.

"The referee and linesman made their decision not to call it, and that's fair enough because it wasn't clear-cut, and we just have to get on with it."

Sunderland's next game is against Martin O'Neill's high flying Aston Villa, who overcame a difficult midlands derby with strugglers West Brom winning by two goals to one after another callamiterous piece of goalkeeping from Scott Carson.

Jones added: "Villa have definitely done well this season, but at home I think we are good enough to stand up against anyone."