DANNY COLLINS has revealed a car crash was the reason why three players arrived late for the team coach last week, but feels the togetherness within the squad should ensure Sunderland's promotion drive does not skid off track.

Anthony Stokes, Marton Fulop and Tobias Hysen were all left behind at Wynyard Park services last Friday, while the rest of the match-day squad set off for the fixture at Barnsley.

It is exactly that sort of scenario manager Roy Keane has been prepared for this season, asking his players to spend the night at a local hotel on the night before home fixtures.

They did so again last night and, with no reported absentees through late arrivals, bad time-keeping should not have played a part in Keane's thinking this morning for this afternoon's visit of Hull City.

Collins admits the strict rules enforced by the club's Irish manager has kept the squad on its toes - even if the three in question have had to deal with dressing room stick.

"They have not had much abuse, more a bit of banter," said the Welshman. "A couple of the lads don't think it was their fault because it was a crash but having said that they should have left earlier.

"There's usually an accident or something on that stretch of road. I'm sure up and down the country, at every club, there is someone late every day. It's no exception here and they have taken their punishment.

"The manager has laid the law down and you can't have one rule for one and one of the other. That will stick now. On the day it was those lads that got the flak and they missed out on a good result at Barnsley. On another day it could have been anyone. The gaffer won't hold it against them."

And commenting on Sunderland's last-gasp equaliser against Stoke on Tuesday, Collins said: "There was a feeling of satisfaction in the end on Tuesday.

"It didn't look like we would get an equaliser because they sat and made it pretty difficult.

"The late goals are probably down to desire. When you are on a good run you don't want to lose out on that, we are 12 unbeaten now.

"The run we are in at the moment means we are fighting until the end and to keep it going.

"It's paid off in the last couple of games."