Awayday kickstart on Keane wish list

Feb 19 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

AS they prepare to travel to the team who inadvertently kick-started their revival in form, Roy Keane believes Sunderland could finally end their miserable run on their travels at Portsmouth’s Fratton Park.

The Black Cats have lost all but one of their 14 games in all competitions outside of the North East this season – a 2-2 draw at Birmingham City in the opening week of the campaign.

But the quality of their performances have improved since January’s 2-0 home win over Portsmouth began an unbroken sequence of three consecutive victories at the Stadium of Light.

With Pompey their opponents again on Saturday, Keane is optimistic the revival can soon be translated into a much-needed first away victory of the season.

“We hope that first away win is close,” he told the club’s official website. “We’ve got to have that belief, and we do. Our away performances of late, particularly in the last month or two, have been better but we need to turn that into results.

“Our home form has been good and it has given us a chance. But it’s a while until our next home game (against Everton on March 8) and it would give us a great boost to go into that having picked up some points on our travels.

“We have a tough game at Portsmouth who are a very strong team, but we’ll go down there in good spirits and hopefully give them a game. The fans have been great home and away, it would be nice to give those who make the long trip to Portsmouth something to cheer about.”

Meanwhile, utility player Greg Halford has accused Keane of “changing his story” before sending him on loan to Charlton Athletic.

While the 23-year-old is clearly upset at seeing his second chance of Premier League football come to little, his interpretations of Keane’s comments appear slightly misguided, with Halford perhaps not reading between the lines of what seems like the Irishman’s sugar-coated way of telling him to leave the Stadium of Light.

“Roy Keane changed his story a few times,” said the former Colchester United and Reading player. “He said I was limited in chances and I felt, if I had a chance, I would turn it around.

“I then turned down a couple of teams to go out on loan to. He then said he was disappointed and I wouldn’t get an opportunity at all. Charlton came in and were the only Championship side I would go to.”

Halford is due to spend the rest of the season at The Valley before returning to Wearside. After a frustrating 2007, he has been delighted to once again be given the opportunity for some regular football. “It is great to be playing again,” he said.