THE idea of a midweek social when a team has just made the worst start in Premier League history might raise eyebrows for some.

But Jordan Pickford is convinced last week’s outing to a bowling alley played a crucial part in Sunderland’s first Premier League win of the season.

There was no doubt the victory at the Vitality Stadium was built on a spirit and determination that helped David Moyes’ side recover from an early goal – and then again when Steven Pienaar was sent off in the 59th minute – to finally claim three points.

It also helped that Victor Anichebe came in for his first Premier League start of the season and made an instant impact, scoring the first and winning the penalty that allowed Jermain Defoe to wrap up the win.

But this was a performance where the players had to dig deep – and Pickford believes that’s when the bonding session came into its own.

The keeper – who produced a series of stunning saves to protect the lead – said: “We went bowling on Tuesday with the lads. A good team bonding thing and I got a few strikes.

“It was good. We just split into four teams, mixed it up a bit and the losing team had to pay.

“We got the highest score, the team I was on so I wasn’t bothered. Wahbi (Khazri) was on my team and he was the best, he got the highest individual score, so it was decent.

“We were told about the trip by John O’Shea. I think he put it together but I don’t know if it came from the gaffer or not but it was something we wanted to do as a team.

“It is massive to do that kind of thing. Whether you’re at the top or bottom of the league, as long as you’ve got a good team unit together it doesn’t matter where you are really. It does help when you are together as a team.”

Of course that wasn’t the only time Moyes’ players stepped outside the Premier League bubble last week.

The manager’s decision to take a group of players to the Nissan factory was intended to remind the squad of the link with supporters.

The reaction at the final whistle suggestion that particular tie was as strong as ever and Moyes admitted a conversation with one of the Nissan workforce had hit home before the 700-mile round trip.

The manager said: “We went to the Nissan factory in the week and the boy said to us he was leaving for this game at five o’clock in the morning on the bus.

“I was saying “How long’s that?” and he says “Oh, we’ll stop, we’ll go down and have a few pints” and what not and we thought good on him.

“We were thinking ‘my goodness, you’re following the team and at the moment we’re not giving you anything to shout about’.”

It didn’t look as though there would be much to shout about when Dan Gosling chested in Adam Smith’s cross from close-range after just ten minutes.

And when Bournemouth assumed total control after taking the lead, the fear was the game would be over before half-time.

But the combination of Defoe and Anichebe brought Moyes’s side back level in the 33rd minute with an outstanding equaliser which provided the confidence Sunderland needed to see the job through.

Anichebe admitted he was growing frustrated at not having his runs picked out, but Defoe knew exactly what the barrel-chested striker wanted when he showed with his back to goal. With the ball delivered to his feet, Anichebe spun sharply and fired a rising shot into the roof of the net.

The striker was a constant threat, roughing up the Bournemouth defence even after suffering a suspected broken rib.

Pienaar’s rash, high challenge on Roger Stanislas under the nose of referee Mike Dean brought a second yellow for a player who had been booked shortly before the break and appeared to have given the home side fresh hope. But Duncan Watmore’s powerful running helped drive Moyes’ men forward and when Adam Smith brought down Anichebe, Defoe slotted home from the penalty spot.

Moyes acknowledged Anichebe wasn’t at the top of his summer wish-list but the decision to bring in his former Everton charge has been vindicated.

The manager said: “I always felt we’d got to the deadline, the deadline had gone and we hadn’t got a striker, so in the back of my mind I always felt that we could bring Victor in.

“I felt if we brought him in right away we were saying ‘we’ve brought in a main striker’. I would have liked to have added another striker before but it wasn’t to be.

“Victor was a striker I always had in my mind and I liked as someone who could give me a bit of presence, somebody who could hold the ball up and give us a big striker at times to go along with Jermain.”

“For us the first win was the first aim.

“We’ve got that now but one win doesn’t keep you in the Premier League.

“If we don’t don’t get to two, then we’ll never start moving up any further, so I hope that it can give the boys confidence to try and get the second one.”