Sunderland moved off the bottom of the Premier League table with a controversial 3-0 victory over local rivals Newcastle at the Stadium of Light in the north east derby.
Newcastle were the better team in the first half, but the game was tipped in balance of Sunderland in first half stoppage-time, as Fabricio Coloccini was dismissed for a last-man challenge on Adam Johnson in the penalty area.
The former-Middlesbrough winger stepped-up and scored the resulting spot kick himself. The Black Cats doubled their lead on 65 minutes.
French midfielder Yann M’Vila fired in a superb volley, which found full-back Billy Jones at the far post and the former-West Brom defender had the simplest of tasking to double his sides lead. Johnson struck the bar on 72 minutes after Steven Fletcher had done well to find the winger.
The home side made it three on 86 minutes. Younes Kaboul lofted a ball over the top of the Newcastle defence and Fletcher produced a superb volley to beat Rob Elliot.
The victory was Sam Allardyce’s first as Sunderland boss and was the Black Cats sixth consecutive north east derby victory. The win moved the Black Cats up to 18th place in the Premier League table and above rivals Newcastle in the table.
Can the north east derby win kick-start Sunderland’s season?
