TOBIAS HYSEN has emerged as a realistic contender for a striking berth at Sunderland as manager Roy Keane contemplates the best way to deal with his first injury nightmare.

With Daryl Murphy ruled out for the short-term with a hamstring problem and Stephen Elliott, David Connolly and Jon Stead all missing, Keane has been looking at ways of bolstering his attacking ranks.

Former Manchester United team-mate Dion Dublin continues to be linked with a move to the Stadium of Light but Hysen showed again yesterday that he could be an option for Saturday's trip to Ipswich.

The Swede, who scored the equaliser against Leicester after emerging from the bench, shone in the first half of Sunderland reserves' comfortable 4-1 win over Doncaster in a behind closed doors friendly on Wearside.

Hysen - who has lost his first team place due to the arrival of the lively Ross Wallace from Celtic - played a part in all three of the Black Cats' goals in the opening half before he was taken off at the interval and rested with Saturday in mind.

Reserve team coach Kevin Richardson was impressed by the Scandinavian's display and feels that Keane will have been encouraged by the £1.7m purchase from Djurgardens last month.

"He is a good player and an intelligent player," said Richardson. "I was talking to him a few weeks ago and he told me he has played that role before. I asked him to show me what he could do there and he played well. He linked up well and created chances for us.

"Hopefully Tobias will have given the manager a problem now. We are four strikers down - how long they will be out for I don't know - and with Toby playing that position it will give the gaffer more ideas."

Hysen, whose favoured position is left-wing, is also ready to play wherever in a bid to ensure he can become a firm part of the new manager's plans.

"I played up front for my old club and in case of emergency I will play where the coach wants," said Hysen. "I play my best on the left but I can play on the right wing as well. It's just a matter of shifting thoughts in your head."

Kevin Smith, a Mick McCarthy signing from Leeds in January, was also in good shape against Doncaster grabbed two.

The first, a left foot strike into the roof of the net from distance, was the best and Richardson feels the young forward can force his way into the Championship reckoning provided he keeps his attitude right.

"Kevin's link up play could be a bit better but in the box he knows where the net is, he is a goalscorer," said Richardson.

"Towards the end of the reserves season, last season, he scored seven or eight times. He has scored a couple here so he is back on track. If he wants to be involved he has to put the graft in to catch the manager's eye."

With players like Tommy Miller - who grabbed the equaliser after Doncaster had gone ahead on ten minutes - Arnau, Clive Clarke, Rory Delap and Liam Lawrence all taking part yesterday, it showed the importance of keeping the players in competitive action.

A decision was taken, before Niall Quinn's consortium seized control, to withdraw Sunderland from the reserve league this season and now a series of friendlies are having to be arranged to keep players match fit.

"I was all for getting in the Pontins Reserves League. It's guaranteed football. It was very unfortunate that it stopped but I would prefer to have this club in a position where you play reserve team football," said Richardson.

"You can train every day but nothing compares to a game. With the new manager coming in he wants players involved in games who are not in the first team.

"Players have different mentalities and you can't always tell if a player who is good in training will be good in a match and vice-versa."

After Miller pulled Sunderland level against Doncaster, Hysen provided again four minutes later when he picked out strike partner Smith, who beat his marker before crashing in a stunning left foot drive.

Sunderland went close on a couple of other occasions before half-time but Doncaster failed to stop Andy Welsh from striking low into the corner after some good work from Hysen and Smith.

After using up all four substitutions, Sunderland completed the scoring 22 minutes from time when Smith was again on target when he met a ball into the box with a calmly taken volley.

Sunderland: Ward; Delap, Nosworthy, D Collins, Clarke (Dennehy 62); Lawrence, Leadbitter (Richardson 46), Miller (Moquet 62), Welsh; K Smith, Hysen (Arnau 46).