Djibril Cisse ended Sunderland’s losing streak as he scored the crucial goal in a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light against Hull City, fellow-strugglers near the foot of the Premier league.
The French international, who is on loan from Marseille, headed the winner in stoppage time at the end of the first-half of Saturday’s match to send Sunderland above Hull.
Cisse’s goal will prove priceless to Sunderland if it helps keep them in the Premier League next season, although whether he will have completed a permanent move by then remains in doubt.
His header ended Sunderland’s run of four successive defeats and continued a miserable sequence of results for Hull.
The team that won six of their opening nine games after winning promotion to the Premier League, have now succeeded just once in their last 17 fixtures.
The importance of the match to Hull was shown by the animated touchline antics of their manager Phil Brown, who displayed a wide range of emotions throughout the 90 minutes.
His main concern in the opening stages was referee Mike Dean’s failure to award a penalty when Craig Fagan appeared to be held down.
There was little justification for Brown’s claim, however, and he was soon concentrating more on his side’s failure to create many clear-cut openings in the early stages.
They troubled Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon only once before the interval when he saved from Kevin Kilbane after a lapse of concentration by Anton Ferdinand provided the opportunity.
Sunderland were equally slow to find their rhythm in a game where the fierce tackling too often negated any creative intentions.
Boaz Myhill, restored to the Hull goal in place of Matt Duke, was able to bed himself in quietly as he dealt with several crosses in assured fashion.
But he was given a scare in the 28th minute when Kamil Zayatte’s mis-kick inside the area allowed a cross to reach Calum Davenport.
The Sunderland defender seemed as surprised as anybody by Zayatte’s error and the opportunity vanished as he failed to control the ball.
And, just when a goalless and distinctly forgettable first-half was drifting to a close, Sunderland moved ahead through Cisse.
A minute into stoppage time, a cross from Andy Reid was glanced in by the French international for his tenth goal of the season, although there was a suspicion of offside.
It was a major blow to Hull, but it could have become even worse for Brown’s team just nine seconds into the second-half.
Cisse was allowed to break clear and his well-struck shot was turned aside at full stretch by Myhill.
Sunderland did find a way past the keeper again three minutes later when Kenwyne Jones headed in after Reid nodded Carlos Edwards’s cross back across goal.
But, while there was a question mark over Cisse’s goal, there was no doubt this time that Trinidad and Tobago international Jones was offside.
It was still a worrying spell for Hull, but they responded well with a 20-yard shot from George Boateng that was only inches wide.
This was now a far more open and entertaining encounter and by far the best move of the match almost produced another goal for Sunderland in the 64th minute.
Reid, looking for the perfect way to celebrate the 250th game of his career, could only fire over the bar after going clear following an excellent link-up between Cisse and Grant Leadbitter.
Time was running out for Hull, who sent on their three substitutes in quick succession in an attempt to alter the balance of power.
They did go close in the 74th minute when Caleb Folan, one of the substitutes, headed narrowly wide from Sam Ricketts’s cross.
But Sunderland, who have developed a knack of conceding late goals, held on this time for a victory that completed the double over Hull.
And they were close to a second goal in stoppage time when Daryl Murphy shot against the post.
