Venables warned ahead of the game that while the signs were promising after taking over from the sacked David O’Leary early last month, there was still much work needed to be done for Leeds to be considered serious title challengers this season.

His words rang true on a night when Sunderland won their first league game at Leeds since February 1961, a 4-2 victory when the legendary Brian Clough was in the team.

Prior to the start of the season, Reid was strong favourite to become the Premier League’s first managerial casualty of the season, with such status seeming justified following his side’s opening two results.

A goalless draw at Blackburn was creditable enough, but that was followed by a poor 1-0 Stadium of Light defeat to Everton on Saturday, and it appeared as if the knives were being sharpened.

With Leeds beating newcomers Manchester City 3-0 and West Brom 3-1, Sunderland were being touted as lambs to the slaughter, as well as remarkable 11-2 outsiders to simply triumph in this part of Yorkshire.

In truth, they stifled the life out of Leeds and the match during a first half when they played with 10 men behind the ball, leaving Kevin Phillips a spectator along with the rest of the 39,929 crowd.

Leeds went into the break frustrated, and just 28 seconds following it, they were caught cold as Thomas Butler nipped in to dispossess Harry Kewell before dinking in a cross for Phillips to nod down into the path of McAteer.

From just six yards, the Republic of Ireland international was left with the simple task of beating Paul Robinson with a first-time left-foot shot for only his third Black Cats goal since leaving Blackburn to reignite his career last October.

While his players celebrated breaking their goal drought, Reid sat impassively on the bench, perhaps realising he cannot go through the season with his side living on the edge as they did against Leeds.

Sunderland soaked up enormous amounts of pressure, and while Thomas Sorensen was rarely tested,

Matt Piper – starting his first game since his recent £3.5million move from Leicester – did clear a Mark Viduka header off the line as United gathered momentum in search of the equaliser.

Referee Mark Halsey also stepped into the spotlight midway through the second half, denying Leeds what appeared to be a clear penalty when Michael Gray clattered into the back of Viduka as he attempted to rise in meeting a cross from Robbie Keane.

How ironic it was that Keane ultimately ended up on the losing side when he could have currently been playing for Sunderland, only to snub the Wearsiders, despite the two sides agreeing a £9m fee in the summer.

Irony, too, in the fact that while Reid has been continually thwarted in his recent attempts to add to his forward line, Venables has an embarrassment of riches.

Whether Reid, chasing Ajax’s Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pierre-Yves Andre from Nantes – with the latter reputed to be joining on loan for the rest of the season pending a permanent £4million move – chooses to make a renewed move for Keane remains to be seen.

Keane is far from content with life on the bench, prompting an outburst at the weekend that he is no longer prepared to tolerate coming on as a substitute towards the end of matches, which means he could now poised to leave before Saturday’s transfer window closes.

Currently behind Mark Viduka and Alan Smith in the pecking order, the £13m capture from Inter Milan in December of 2000 realises he will figure even less once Robbie Fowler returns from a hip injury at the start of October.

Spurs are reputed to lead the chase for Keane, who is one of six strikers on Leeds’ books, although rumours he has already held talks with Glenn Hoddle and that a fee of £8m has been agreed have today been ridiculed by Leeds.

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale is holding out for a fee in the region of £8-9m as they look to recoup the majority of the outlay they have so far paid Inter as further instalments are due next summer and again in 2004 to complete the deal.

Whether this is the last Leeds fans will see of Keane, playing for the final 35 minutes after coming on as a substitute for Nick Barmby, remains to be seen.