Sunderland 2 Stoke City 0 Reid re-born as Sunderland strike late

ARE we seeing the birth of the new, responsible Andy Reid? The Dubliner might still have something to prove to Giovanni Trapattoni but more displays like this — which blended authority and effervescence in equal measure — and even the Italian will struggle to remain immune to his qualities.

Reid was the driving force behind a victory that left Sunderland seven points clear of the bottom three and took their tally from the last three league games to a creditable seven points. Reid, for his part, is now anxious to ensure that standards do not drop as they prepare for tough away trips to Arsenal and Liverpool.

“It’s a massive result, especially when you look at some of the results that came in on Saturday,” Reid said.