AS he took the ball in his gangly stride 30 yards from the Everton goal with no defenders blocking his path, Kevin Kyle could already see the headlines.

"Kyle saves Sunderland," they might have read, as the striker looked to mark his full Premiership debut with a goal.

And then, when his big moment arrived, when 35,000 Sunderland fans were willing him on...he fell over.

Maybe Kyle's descent owed much to Gary Naysmith's challenge from behind, as he later claimed; maybe he just tripped over his own feet.

But as the disconsolate Kyle clambered back up, a full ten seconds after hitting the Stadium of Light turf, the Sunderland forward knew he wouldn't get another glorious opportunity to announce his arrival on the Premiership stage.

Sure enough, barely a minute later, Kyle's number was up.

Peter Reid had decreed he should make way for Matthew Piper, and to a cacophony of boos Kyle reluctantly departed.

The jeers were not for the Scotland international, who had made an encouraging first start against one of the Premiership's most obdurate centre-back pairings, but for Reid's decision to substitute him.

Ultimately, he left the field to warm applause and a consoling word from the Sunderland manager - who until that point had been the recipient of remarkable loyalty and patience from his club's fans.

But still Kyle was left wondering just how different his day would have turned out had he taken that chance.

The 21-year-old must not reproach himself, however. He acquitted himself well, won his fair share of aerial challenges and was at the hub of everything that was good about Sunderland in the frenetic first 15 minutes.

David Weir and Alan Stubbs have made almost 700 league appearances between them, yet Kyle was king as the Black Cats laid siege to the Everton goal.

It was Kyle's header that provided Gavin McCann with the sort of chance he ought to have sent on target, rather than into the crowd behind Richard Wright.

True to his word, having promised on Friday to "put myself about", Kyle was not afraid to use his 6'3", 13st frame. Naysmith was clattered to the floor in a challenge that saw the frontman urged to "calm down" by referee Rob Styles.

But as Sunderland faded, so did Kyle's influence. He still showed some neat touches at times, but he was fighting a losing battle against the greater savvy of Weir and Stubbs long before he was withdrawn.

His performance earned praise from both managers, though, and an admission from David Moyes that his team had to change their approach to neutralise Kyle.

Moyes said: "Kyle was a threat in the first 15 minutes. I told the players to push further forward and get him further away from dangerous positions."

Reid added: "Kevin did really well for us. But sometimes you need to protect young players, and he played a full international on Wednesday and we've got important games on Wednesday and Saturday this week."

After Weir and Stubbs, it doesn't get any easier for Kyle or Sunderland.

On Wednesday, he will face Jonathan Woodgate and Dominic Matteo at Leeds United; three days later, Rio Ferdinand and Laurent Blanc will form Manchester United's central defensive barrier.

It's hardly a cosseted introduction to the Premiership, but Kyle showed enough against Everton to justify his inclusion against the two big guns.

And next time he finds himself clean through, let's hope for his and Sunderland's sake that he keeps his feet