Jermain Defoe scored his 150th Premier League goal and Victor Anichebe struck twice as Sunderland recorded a precious win over Hull City.
The scoreline was perhaps a little harsh on Hull but the result means David Moyes' men have now won back-to-back games to move off the bottom of the Premier League table.
The game was held up for 10 minutes in the second half by a floodlight failure but the Black Cats produced a bright performance in a game labelled a 'six-pointer' by their manager in its build-up.
There was a blot on the copybook for the Black Cats, who had centre-back Papy Djilobodji sent off for a second booking in injury time; as a result he will now be suspended for their game at Liverpool next week.
But it was not enough to take the gloss off a superb afternoon for Sunderland, and their supporters who witnessed a home victory for the first time this season.
Defoe lit up a first half full of endeavour but lacking in quality with a typical piece of brilliance to put his side ahead.
The 34-year-old appeared to have more time and space than any other player on the pitch as he beat two defenders before firing a left-footed shot into the far corner.
It was as confident and clinical a strike as any of the 149 Premier League goals he has scored prior to it, and was his seventh - out of Sunderland's 10 - for the season.
It appeared for a long period of the game that the afternoon would belong to Defoe, even when the floodlights went out during which time Moyes looked extremely concerned that three precious points were about to be spirited away by a technical malfunction.
But Anichebe added a second on 62 minutes to deliver a hammer blow to Hull's momentum in the game and then stamped a seal on it with six minutes left to play, both efforts beating David Marshall at his near post.
The second came from a neat pass by Defoe and four minutes after Hull had spurned three chances to get on the scoresheet and back into the game.
Curtis Davies had a header brilliantly kept out by Jordan Pickford, Dieumerci Mbokani had his follow-up shot scrambled off the line and then Jake Livermore had an effort blocked at close range.
Player ratings
Sunderland: Pickford (8), Jones (7), Kone (6), Djilobodji (6), Van Aanholt (6), McNair (6), Denayer (7), Watmore (7), Ndong (6), Anichebe (8), Defoe (8).
Subs: O'Shea (6), Love (6).
Hull City: Marshall (5), Elmohamady (6), Dawson (6), Davies (5), Tymon (6), Snodgrass (6), Livermore (5), Clucas (7), Mason (6), Henriksen (5), Mbokani (6).
Subs: Meyler (6), Bowen (5).