SUNDERLAND, meet Anthony. Anthony. . . Sunderland. "But give him time, " urged Roy Keane as the party line was set. Niall Quinn described him as a cog, rather than a saviour. The match notes preached a similar scripture, comparing him to Ally McCoist. Why? A high-priced signing from Scotland that was moved on before his best years. Patience.

Problem is, the locals in this part of the world are an excitable lot. Stokes's jersey was the most seen outside the ground. Stokes's name got the biggest cheer before kick-off. Stokes's image covered the programme. There are some things even Keane can't control.

Never mind, the result will have made up for that, a 1-0 victory that keeps Sunderland's collective breath on those occupying the play-off spots.

And it will have been even more satisfying given the performance.

Outside of the opening 20 minutes, Ipswich looked the more dangerous, deserved an equaliser and came agonisingly close on more than one occasion. But it was those 20 minutes that mattered.

And it was an Irishman that set the tempo in those early stages. But it wasn't the £2m-pound man. Instead it was David Connolly. Remember him?

He'd already had a shot saved from close range when he threaded through to Dean Whitehead. The Sunderland captain's dive did little to impress the referee but they didn't have to wait long for the opener. On 12 minutes, Stokes picked up the ball wide on the right. His cross should have been cleared by the Ipswich defence but was left by all and Connolly netted his sixth of the season.

From then on, he went out of the game with Stokes providing the main threat, but facing a porous defence frustration will have outweighed openings. A player who enjoyed the crisp passing of Arsenal and Falkirk will have seen little of that style yesterday.

What he got was sometimes rugged, more often mistimed. When in space, the ball was slow in coming and he was responsible for half of Sunderland's six offsides in the opening period.

When the ball came quick, Ipswich looked under pressure. Whitehead was again denied a penalty after being obstructed before Stokes came closest to a debut goal. On 18 minutes, the lively Carlos Edwards found the even livelier Whitehead. Another cross left the Ipswich back four looking like pigeons. Stokes found room in the box, sent his shot past Lewis Price only for it to strike Jason De Vos, seemingly on the hand. Again no penalty.

Sunderland could have done with a second as they faded in midfield for the remainder of a disappointing game.

Their defence didn't and although they creaked at times, they never cracked.

Ipswich striker Gary Roberts's movement was rarely tracked but it was from corners that the visitors came closest to an equaliser. De Vos had a header cleared off the line before Richard Naylor flicked his effort just wide of the upright. Half time, 1-0 and Sunderland were thankful.

Jim Magilton's men were at it again after the break as Keane wandered ever further from the dug out. They should have had a penalty of their own on 51 minutes. A cross from the left got held up in a gale-force wind that has battered the north-east in recent days, goalkeeper Darren Ward was slow to come and when Alan Lee got a flick he was brought down. Nothing was given but Ipswich weren't perturbed. They went close just before the hour mark when Danny Haynes raced free. His shot was parried but looked to be heading over the line until Jonny Evans arrived and somehow cleared the ball.

Another debutant, he was the hero this day. Plenty more time for Stokes who was taken off with three minutes to go and replaced by Stephen Elliot.

Regardless of a quiet afternoon, the crowd of 27,604 still stood and applauded. Patience.