Ince praises Santa Cruz

Last updated : 13 November 2008 By Andy
The Paraguayan was on the field for just two minutes after returning from a hamstring injury and he weighed in with a goal that opened the scoring at the Stadium of Light last night.

Ince said: "Roque wanted to start, but I don't think he is quite there yet.

"Whatever the score had been, he was always going to play some minutes on the pitch, 20 or 35.

"I'm not sure if it was his first touch, but it is important to get him on because we have been playing well this season, our build-up play has been excellent and in that final third, we have lacked that clinical touch.

"He gives us that. We will see how he comes out of it, but he looked sharp when he came on.

"He needs games. It has been a stop-start season for Roque, but if he plays games, he will score goals, as he did last year.

"It was nice for him to get a goal."