The Black Cats boss saw his team stage a concerted fightback to snatch a 3-2 victory over Burnley courtesy of Carlos Edwards' blistering 80th-minute strike.

Sunderland edged back to the top of the table ahead of Birmingham, who entertain Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow, and will return to the top flight if Derby lose at Crystal Palace 24 hours later with a trip to relegated Luton still to come.

However, Keane will not be parked in front of a television, but will spend the day, as usual, with his family.

He said: "No, I will be out somewhere. There is nothing I can do about it. I won't have any interest in it.

"Sunday is a day of going to Mass and relaxing."

Relaxation was the last thing on the minds of any of the 44,448 spectators - the highest crowd this season on Wearside - as a dramatic evening unfolded.

Edwards' stunning strike came 10 minutes from the end of a pulsating encounter during which the initiative repeatedly changed hands amid huge controversy.

The Black Cats surged into the lead with just 14 minutes gone when Daryl Murphy lost his marker at the near post to turn home David Connolly's cross.

Sunderland were utterly dominant for the opening half-hour and should really have killed the game after 21 minutes when referee Trevor Kettle pointed to the spot after Connolly had gone to ground under Wayne Thomas' innocuous tackle.

But Connolly, without a goal in seven games, saw his penalty saved by Brian Jensen, and worse was to follow for the home side when referee Kettle evened things up at the other end six minutes before the break despite replays showing keeper Darren Ward got a hand to the ball before making contact with Wade Elliott.

Former Sunderland striker Andy Gray, who scored only once during his time at the Stadium of Light, converted from the spot, and the visitors were in raptures when Elliott hammered a 50th-minute piledriver past Ward from 25 yards.

Keane's men levelled from the game's third penalty within four minutes after Jensen had brought down Edwards to set the stage for the Trinidad and Tobago international to trump Elliott.

The manager said: "It summed up our season, the game tonight. We gave away two soft goals and were 2-1 down at home.

"But the players again showed great character, determination, desire and skill, and character was the number one tonight.

"I am very lucky with the players I've got, I have to say.

"I am not too bad tonight, I have to say. I said a few prayers, and there is a God.

"It keeps it in our hands, like I have been saying for the last few weeks.

"A draw or a loss tonight would have put Derby and Birmingham back in the driving seat.

"But it is still in our hands and we will be ready for next weekend."

If Steve Bruce and Billy Davies were disappointed by the result from Wearside, they could have no complaints about Burnley's desire or application, although manager Steve Cotterill, who served as Howard Wilkinson's number two at the Stadium of Light, was unhappy with referee Kettle's display.

He said: "The referee wanted to give penalties tonight. They were soft penalties. The only penalty might have been their second one, potentially.

"I do not know what he gave their first one for. I don't know whether ours was a penalty, if I am honest.

"But their first one, for the life of me I do not know what that was for. Wayne Thomas must have sneezed on him."