Substitute Grant Leadbitter hit a 76th-minute winner to lift Keane's men four points clear at the Coca-Cola Championship summit with three games remaining.

Skipper Dean Whitehead fired Sunderland ahead in the seventh minute but Martin Rowlands' penalty threatened to deny the Wearsiders a potentially priceless victory.

"I thought it was a good performance and once again the players showed great character," said Keane.

"They came good again and I've got great faith and trust in them.

"We're actually playing quite well and the players are enjoying it."

Leadbitter, Sunderland-born and a lifelong fan of the club, had come off the bench to score the winner in the 2-1 win at Southampton on Easter Monday.

That was not enough to secure him a place in the starting line-up against Rangers but his latest spectacular winner off the bench has given Keane food for thought.

"Grant was unlucky not to be in the starting XI but that's what you need if you want to be a top club," added the Black Cats boss.

"I just spoke to him then and he's made up. He signed a new contract a few weeks ago, so maybe he should have waited a little longer before negotiating it!

"But he's knuckled down and it's great for the supporters to see a local lad coming through the ranks and making an impact.

"We've got a lot of lads who won trophies at Celtic or Man United, and played in World Cups, and they're playing with great freedom.

"I was quite relaxed. They're good players and they've got great character and desire.

"We've been very much a team together over the past few months and I've got a great staff."

Keane's men have now won 14 of their 17 league encounters since the turn of the year and must be rated as favourites to go up as champions.

It is worth remembering that Sunderland were relegated last season as the worst team in the history of the Premiership with a dismal tally of just 15 points.

Even one month into the current campaign they were facing the grim prospect of relegation to League One after five straight defeats left them second bottom of the Championship.

Keane arrived last August and has engineered an incredible turnaround in fortunes.

Rangers boss John Gregory said: "Sunderland have got that devil in them, which comes from the manager. He knows what he want and he'll get it.

"He ran the dressing room at Old Trafford for 10 years and people respond to him.

"He's certainly getting the best out of his players.

"They're a very good team and I hope they get promoted because they deserve it."

Rangers had arrived on Wearside on the back of three successive wins but they could not hold out for a point and are left looking nervously over their shoulders once more.

Gregory added: "We thought we'd done enough because Sunderland looked like they'd run out of ideas in the second half.

"Roy made a couple of subs which gave them a lift, but how many saves did Lee Camp have to make?

"Hopefully we just need a couple more points to be safe.

"Leeds won, but we've got two games at home and one away and if we win one of those home games then it should get us over the line.

"We came here to win but it's a Premiership set-up here.

"The facilities, the crowd and everything, and Sunderland have got that devil in them."