Sunderland boss Roy Keane is hoping the harsh lessons of 2007 will help his side mount a Premier League charge in 2008.The 36-year-old Irishman was on Monday still cooling down after blowing his top at referee Steve Bennett's decision to rule out Danny Collins' late "winner" against Aston Villa on Saturday.

When he does so, he will reflect on a point which dragged the Black Cats out of the relegation zone, but left them facing a long haul to safety with the busy holiday period fast approaching.

Last season's reigning Championship winners have endured a tough start to life in the top flight, and have now collected 14 points from their first 17 games.

That return will have to improve markedly if they are to avoid the unseemly scrap at the foot of the table, and Keane believes the events of the first few months of the campaign will stand his players in good stead for what is ahead.

He said: "I think they are learning fast, and the only way they can learn is by playing in the games.

"Facing good teams like Chelsea away and Villa at home are good challenges - there is no hiding place.

"You have got to learn fast and hopefully these games will help us in the second half of the season when things will be even tougher."

The Wearsiders face three huge games as they round the season's turn with a trip to Reading - one of the three sides they have beaten to date - next weekend being followed by Keane's former club Manchester United's visit to the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day and the arrival of fellow strugglers Bolton three days later.

They then head for Blackburn on January 2 before taking a break from league action for the FA Cup third-round clash with Wigan, and they will hope to do so having made a significant contribution towards their survival fund.

Keane's anger on Saturday evening will eventually dissipate, and once it does, he will perhaps be able to take some positives out of the Villa game despite seeing the visitors dominate for long periods.

Having led from the 10th minute through Danny Higginbotham's header, they were eventually pegged back by substitute Shaun Maloney's free-kick 17 minutes from time.

Keane said: "We hung in there. We were under the cosh, but we defended well against lots and lots of crosses - there must have been 50 or 60 crosses come in.

"We gave a sloppy goal away again. We lost possession softly in the middle of the park, gave away a silly free-kick on the edge of the box.

"If you do that in the Premier League, you will be punished without a doubt, and Shaun Maloney punished us."

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