HIS Sunderland team might be top of the Championship table for the first time this season, but Roy Keane is adamant there will be no premature celebrations until the Black Cats are back in the Premiership.

Yesterday's dramatic 2-1 win over fellow promotion contenders Southampton took the Wearsiders one point clear of second-placed Derby and five points ahead of third-placed Birmingham with just four games of the season to go.

The Blues still have a game in hand but, after Steve Bruce's side followed up Saturday's defeat to Burnley with another loss at Barnsley yesterday, the momentum appears to have swung decisively in Sunderland's favour at the most crucial stage of the season.

The 3,000 travelling supporters who left St Mary's last night certainly felt that automatic promotion was on the cards next month but, displaying the same level-headedness that characterised him as a player, Keane has attempted to dampen down the euphoria that is sweeping across Wearside.

With tricky trips to Colchester and Luton still to come, not to mention home games against QPR and Burnley, the Black Cats boss has been quick to remind his players that nothing has been decided yet.

And while he has also admitted that his steely resolve may crack if promotion is eventually secured, Keane will not be breaking into a grin until Premiership football is guaranteed.

"I'm still getting used to it because we've only been at the top of the table for a few minutes," said the Irishman, after watching second-half goals from Carlos Edwards and Grant Leadbitter overhaul Marek Saganowski's close-range opener for the Saints. "It's a nice position to be in, but the most important thing is that we're top at the end of the season.

"I've always said that since I took the job - it's about where we end up at the end of the season and we'll be judged on that.

"Ask me at the end of the season how happy or sad I am, and I'll reflect on it then.

"You can't reflect on anything with four games to go, so now we have to keep pushing and playing well.

"As long as we keep on winning football matches, the league table will take care of itself."

Sunderland didn't always look like winning yesterday's game but, for the fifth time in the last eight matches, Keane's men scored a crucial goal in the final three minutes to affect the outcome.

The squad's never-say-die attitude stands in stark contrast to the meekness that characterised the Black Cats' play in the opening two months of the season, and Keane feels his players' character and resolve is the major reason for their sudden turnaround in form.

"The lads have stuck at it and ground out the results," he said. "There have been games where we have had to dig deep, but that's exactly what we've done.

"We've had a bit of luck along the way but, as the old saying goes, the harder you work, the luckier you get. "Our players work extremely hard every single day and there is a good working environment around the club now. "When you have that, you have a chance.

"I'm also very lucky with the squad of players I have. "I was able to leave Daryl Murphy and Ross Wallace out of the squad even though they did well at the weekend.

"Dean Whitehead came on and gave a captain's performance in the second half and Grant (Leadbitter) scored a great goal.

"He's done that four or five times now this season and that's a great return for us." Despite watching his side drop out of the play-off places as a consequence of their defeat, Southampton boss George Burley magnanimously praised Keane for the job he has done on Wearside since replacing Niall Quinn in late August.

"We played them at the Stadium of Light in November and drew," he said.

"They were well down the table then but, since January, they've been the best team in the Championship by far.

"I'm surprised at the run, but I don't think anyone is surprised that Roy Keane has turned out to be a good manager."