Black Cats won't be bullied - Keane

Sunderland boss Roy Keane said his side’s hard-fought draw at Wigan showed the strides his side have made in their second Premier League campaign despite being denied three points by Amr Zaki’s late equaliser.

The Black Cats looked to be heading for a valuable victory thanks to a 13th minute own goal from Titus Bramble before the home side’s relentless pressure told 12 minutes from time.

But having been hammered 3-0 in the corresponding fixture last season, Keane was eager to accentuate the positives of a side featuring two debutants in Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney.

Keane said: “We got turned over here 3-0 last year and we got bullied. We weren’t bullied today. We proved we were up for the battle. A draw away from home in the Premier League is not the end of the world for us.”

However Keane did admit to rueing a glorious chance for striker Djibril Cisse, who rammed a low shot straight at advancing keeper Chris Kirkland on the hour when he should have done better.

Keane added: “If Cisse takes his chance when he’s one on one with the keeper it’s all over. But if you don’t take those chances they come back to haunt you and their striker, who is pretty sharp at the moment, took his chance well.

Meanwhile Keane said he did not wish to continue his recent spat with FIFA vice-president Jack Warner over the club versus country row involving Dwight Yorke and Trinidad and Tobago.

“To be honest I’ve had enough of it. I’ve said my piece and we have to move on. If he wants to continue writing letters then good luck to him.”

But reminded that Warner is seen as a potential key figure in terms of England garnering support for their projected 2018 World Cup bid, Keane added mischievously: “I hope I’ve jeopardised it.”

Meanwhile Wigan boss Steve Bruce hailed his star find Zaki after the Egyptian hit his fifth goal in as many games to rescue his new side a richly deserved point.

Bruce said: “He’s got as good a goalscoring record as anyone in the world and I hope that will continue.

“It will be very difficult for him in the winter because he’s used to playing in 30 degrees in Cairo every week. But he’s got a fantastic attitude and mentality, he’s a great boy and he’s got an outstanding chance.

“I was recommended him by Wes Saunders, the former Newcastle scout, and that’s where it started. A lot of people mocked me but I went out there and saw him score two and I had no hesitation.”

Bruce said he was satisfied with his team’s performance but agreed with Keane that things might have been different had Cisse made the most of his superb chance.

Bruce added: “I think we deserved the point but I think the big turning point was Cisse’s chance. If he takes that we’re up against it but overall I think we worked hard.”

Bruce admitted his side’s midweek international exertions had taken their toll on the first half display, with four players – including Hondurans Maynor Figueroa and Wilson Palacios – only arriving back in the country late last night.

Bruce said: “It wasn’t happening for us to start with but I can only praise my players. Wilson got back into Manchester at 20 past 10 and he was on his knees.

“I toyed with changing it and maybe I should have done, but after a 5-0 win how do you leave any of them out? It was a tentative start and we laboured, but we deserved something out of the game, that’s for sure.”