Sunderland's fate is already sealed, but goals from Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe saw them end their three-month wait for a victory
Sunderland ended their 10-game winless streak as goals from Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe saw them complete a League double over Hull City.
The Black Cats’ relegation was confirmed last weekend, they had not won since thrashing Crystal Palace 4-0 at Selhurst Park back in February, and few gave them a chance of ending Hull boss Marco Silva’s 41-game unbeaten home record which stretched back to 2014 and spanned spells at four clubs.
But Jones’ diving header 20 minutes from the end at the KCOM Stadium put Sunderland on course for victory and gave the 2,500-strong travelling support something to cheer.
And then Defoe wrapped up the points in injury-time as he ended his 1,035 minute club goal drought with a strike that had more than a suspicion of offside about it.
The victory also owed much to a string of terrific saves from Jordan Pickford which kept Hull at bay.
The win was too little, too late, in terms of the relegation battle, but it did at least break the monotony as a miserable campaign nears its end.
And it means that Hull’s own Premier League future still hangs in the balance.
David Moyes made three changes to the side that started last weekend’s home defeat against Bournemouth.
Jones missed that game through illness but returned at right-back in place of Donald Love.
And in midfield Jason Denayer – who was absent last week due to a dead leg – came in for Steven Pienaar, who missed out with an ankle problem, while George Honeyman replaced Wahbi Khazri.
Seb Larsson was available again after suspension and was included on the bench, as was Jack Rodwell who sat out the Bournemouth game with a groin injury.
Silva made one change to the starting XI that fought out a goalless draw at Southampton last weekend, with Abel Hernandez coming into the side in place of Evandro.
Sunderland should have taken the lead inside the first five minutes from their first meaningful attack, as Jones’ right-wing cross found Honeyman on the run inside the area but his header from six yards out went a yard wide of the right-hand post.
At the other end, Sam Clucas was at the centre of things for the Tigers.
He brought a routine save out of Pickford on 10 minutes, but 10 minutes after that the England keeper had to made a smart save low to his right to push away the midfielder’s powerful drive after Sunderland had failed to clear Kamil Grosicki’s cross from the left.
A surging run from Defoe ended with a shot from 20 yards out that flew wide of the right-hand upright.
And a little over five minutes from half-time, Hernandez cut into the Sunderland penalty area from the right and curled a left-foot shot wide of the far post.
Just five minutes into the second half, a terrific ball forward from Pickford released Defoe behind the Hull defence and he raced into the penalty area, but his shot was tame and straight at Eldin Jakupovic who batted it away.
Just a minute later, former Sunderland midfielder Alfred N’Diaye bundled the ball wide from six yards when it seemed he must score.
And as Hull stepped up the pressure, Pickford made an excellent acrobatic save to turn Lazar Markovic’s header over the bar, and shortly afterwards John O’Shea made an important block to divert a shot from Hernandez wide of the right-hand post.
Victor Anichebe teed-up Defoe on the edge of the area, but he blazed over the bar.
But then came the breakthrough.
Honeyman’s corner from the right was flicked-on by O’Shea at the near post, and Jones was on hand inside the crowded six-yard box to plant a diving header past Jakupovic from close range.
Pickford made another fine stop inside the final 15 minutes, this time turning a header from Markovic over the bar.
And then two minutes into injury-time, sub Larsson’s free-kick from the right flank found Defoe inside the area, the flag stayed down, and he tapped the ball home from close range.
How they lined up
HULL CITY: Jakupovic, Elmohamady (Evandro 86), Ranocchia, Maguire, Robertson, Markovic (Huddlestone 66), N’Diaye (Mbokani 78), Clucas, Grosicki, Hernandez, Niasse. Subs not used: Marshall, Maloney, Dawson, Henriksen
BOOKED: Clucas, Grosicki, Elmohamady
SUNDERLAND: Pickford, Jones, Kone, O’Shea, Manquillo, Ndong, Denayer, Borini, Honeyman (Larsson 79), Anichebe, Defoe. Subs not used: Mannone, Djilobodji, Rodwell, Khazri, Love, Gooch
BOOKED: Anichebe
REFEREE: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)
ATTENDANCE: 22,480
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