Sunderland gave their Premier League survival hopes a huge boost on Sunday with a 1-0 victory at home to local rivals Newcastle United.
The only goal of the game came on the stroke of half time when Jermain Defoe found the top corner with a stunning volley from the edge of the penalty area.
Despite some pressure from Newcastle towards the end of the game, the Black Cats were deserved winners come the final whistle.
Here, Sports Mole rates the performances of those involved on a passionate afternoon at the Stadium of Light.
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SUNDERLAND
Goal
Costel Pantilimon: Had a quiet afternoon between the sticks, though he made an important save from Emmanuel Riviere in the second half to keep Newcastle at bay. (6/10)
Defence
Billy Jones: Despite making his first start since January, the right-back worked doggedly up and down the line and looked comfortable for large parts of the game. (7/10)
Santiago Vergini: An impressive outing for the Argentine, whose physicality was important at the back for the hosts. (7/10)
John O'Shea: Led the Black Cats with his usual focus and professionalism. Remained robust during the final stages as the visitors pushed for an equaliser. (7/10)
Patrick van Aanholt: The best player on the pitch. Van Aanholt dominated the left flank with his energy and determination, making a big impact in attack with some good crosses from out wide. (8/10)
Midfield
Sebastian Larsson: Provided his team with some creativity from midfield and could have got on the scoresheet in the second half with a free kick that whistled inches wide. (7/10)
Lee Cattermole: A mature performance from Cattermole, whose temperament in big games has often been questioned. Kept control throughout, but was also hard in the tackle. (7/10)
Jordi Gomez: Drifted in and out of the game at times, though he was a bright presence for most of the first half. (6/10)
Connor Wickham: His decision-making was not always up to scratch. However, the winger gave Newcastle plenty of problems with his pace and power. (6/10)
Attack
Jermain Defoe: Lit up the game with a wonderful volley to put Sunderland ahead. Elsewhere, the veteran striker linked well with his teammates in the final third. (7/10)
Steven Fletcher: Did not have as big an impact as the more fluid Defoe. That said, the Scot got into some good positions to drag the Newcastle defence about. (6/10)
Substitutes
Adam Johnson: Worked hard for the Sunderland cause during the final 10 minutes. Nicked the ball off Newcastle a couple of times as the hosts looked to run the clock down. (6/10)
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NEWCASTLE
Goal
Tim Krul: Not the Dutchman's most assured display in goal. Could have done little to stop Defoe's spectacular winner. (6/10)
Defence
Ryan Taylor: One of the few Newcastle players who did his job and performed well. That said, he often struggled to contain the Sunderland attack. (6/10)
Daryl Janmaat: A quiet game for the Dutchman, who was not allowed to get forward as much as he would have liked. (5/10)
Mike Williamson: Found life difficult against the home side's slick forward line. Was exposed far too often from a Newcastle perspective. (5/10)
Jack Colback: Would have loved to have silenced the home fans on his return to the Stadium of Light, but he instead played a minor role. (5/10)
Midfield
Yoan Gouffran: Yet another ineffective afternoon for the Frenchman. How long before someone actually checks whether he is a professional footballer? (4/10)
Jonas Gutierrez: Was unable to put his mark on the game. Had to sit further back and was not able to add to Newcastle's forward play. (5/10)
Moussa Sissoko: Newcastle's captain for the day, Sissoko looked burdened by the responsibility and went into his shell. (5/10)
Remy Cabella: Despite being his usual erratic self, the winger looked like Newcastle's most dangerous player going forward when he was on the ball. (6/10)
Sammy Ameobi: Had one or two moments in the second half where he looked eager to make runs down the left, but these were only fleeting instances on an otherwise disappointing day. (5/10)
Attack
Ayoze Perez: Was starved of service and support up front. Had a great chance to make it 1-1 late on, but he hit a poor volley over the crossbar when he should have at least been getting the ball on target. (6/10)
Substitutes
Emmanuel Riviere: Shook things up slightly for Newcastle when he came off the bench with 30 minutes left, though he still seems out of his depth in the Premier League. (5/10)
Adam Armstrong: Entered the action with just a handful of minutes remaining and did nothing of note. (5/10)
Jack Prescott
