Peter Reid yesterday backed Kevin Phillips to carry his club form into the international arena after the striker salvaged a point for Sunderland after Coventry's wonder buy, Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane, had put the visitors ahead with his fifth goal of the campaign - including two for Wolves - on 33 minutes.

Phillips joined Dwight Yorke at the top of the Premiership goalscoring charts with his fifth goal of the season - an acrobatic volley 17 minutes from time - to secure a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light.

Phillips now links up with the England squad for the European Championship qualifiers with Luxembourg and Poland.

And Sunderland boss Reid said: "I don't think Kevin Keegan needs any advice on picking his team, but I think in his first international Kevin got chances but didn't stick them away.

"But it's the law of averages that if he gets chances, he'll put them away. I think he'll do all right with England.

"It was a great finish for his goal today. A volley with your back to goal is the hardest thing in the world, but it's what he's about.

"Everyone keeps asking me about Kevin. All I keep saying is every game he plays he gets chances and invariably he puts them away. He's just one of those players you find who have got that knack. Don't ask me what it's about, but he does it in training and he does it in matches."

Until Phillips struck it seemed Coventry, who had Youssef Chippo sent off four minutes from time for two bookable offences, the latter on Alex Rae, would leave the north-east with all three points as they repelled everything Sunderland could throw at them.

But Sky Blues boss Gordon Strachan was unhappy with the way his side allowed the hosts back into the game and said: "We were too deep in the second half and they hit Niall Quinn at will.

"When it went to 1-1, we decided to have a go at winning the game. We came out and played and it became easier for us.

"When you've got a good leader of the line and a great finisher, you should keep them as far away from your own box as possible. But they used their common sense and got a result and we didn't use our common sense."

Ironically, Keane's great finishing deserted him when he had the chance to win the game for Coventry two minutes into stoppage time but volleyed over the bar from 12 yards.

Meanwhile, Reid revealed he had apologised to Strachan for an incident which saw Nicky Summerbee fail to throw the ball back to Coventry after the visitors had kicked it out of play to allow the injured Marc Edworthy to receive treatment.

Aston Villa central defender Ugo Ehiogu has written off his hopes of a pre-European deadline move and insisted that he is happy to stay with the Premiership's joint leaders.

Ehiogu had been linked with a £13 million move to Manchester United who would have to sign him tomorrow for him to be available to play in the initial stages of the Champions League.

Sunderland: Sorensen, Makin, Gray, Butler, Bould, Summerbee, Rae, Schwarz, McCann (Oster 72), Quinn, Phillips. Subs Not Used: Marriott, Helmer, Dichio, Ball. Booked: Bould, Rae, Phillips. Goals: Phillips 73.

Coventry: Hedman, Edworthy, Breen, Froggatt, Shaw, Williams, Chippo, McAllister, Hadji (Telfer 76), Aloisi (McSheffrey 83), Keane. Subs Not Used: Nuzzo, Konjic, Hall. Sent Off: Chippo (88). Booked: Froggatt, Chippo. Goals: Keane 33.

Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley).