JUST when Sunderland were ready to politely ask Jude Bellingham to maybe consider staying away from their next game, Jack Clarke provided the flash of brilliance required to belatedly kick-start the Michael Beale era.

Real Madrid star Bellingham was even corralled into donning a red-and-white scarf by supporters prior to kick-off of his second Black Cats' game in the space of 72 hours, but it looked like the England midfielder would again see the Wearsiders draw a blank on the back of Saturday's depressing no-show against Coventry when Beale's reign endured a nightmare start.

That was quickly forgotten with eight minutes remaining of a contest which the visitors had taken an increasing stranglehold of.

In a move launched by Bellingham's kid brother Jobe, Clarke accepted Dan Neil's pass before unfurling his trademark move to cut in from the left to confidently curl a low shot beyond Hull keeper Matt Ingram. 

It sealed a deserved win and in the process proved to any superstitious minds that Bellingham senior is no footballing Jonah.

While victory shouldn't mask the continued issues which remain in terms of finding the net on a regular basis, this was a Sunderland performance full of character and determination which was night and day when compared to the tame surrender to the Sky Blues at the weekend and showed Beale has plenty to work with in his efforts to win over supporters left shocked and confused by the sacking of Tony Mowbray.

Had Patrick Roberts been more clinical with a Clarke-fashioned opening midway through the second half, Beale's side could have won with more to spare. In the end, the midfielder's failure to beat Ingram from close range failed to prove costly.

That was largely down to a tenacious defensive display where the entire back four stood out, in particular Jenson Seelt who barely put a foot wrong at right-back. 

A fine rearguard display saw to it that Anthony Patterson was rarely called into action against increasingly frustrated hosts, who Sunderland leapfrogged on their way back into the top six thanks to Beale's maiden win in charge.

When Patterson was called upon, the Sunderland keeper was more than up to the task, producing fine fingertip saves after the break to deny Hull's best two players, Liam Delap and Tyler Morton, two youngsters full of promise on respective loans from Manchester City and Liverpool.

Otherwise, Hull were largely as ineffective as Sunderland in the final third in a game that was always going to be settled by a single goal. 

Ozan Tufan produced a back-pass of a finish after being teed-up by Scott Twine a dozen yards out as the game belatedly sprang into life after an insipid first-half from both teams which didn't linger long in the memory. 

Delap shot tamely at Patterson from inside the area at the end of a 70-yard three-man counter attack, and when substitute Jason Lokilo curled a late cross-shot just wide, Hull could muster little else in their attempts to find an equaliser.

Adil Aouchiche fired just off target on the turn early shortly after the substitute's introduction for the hamstrung Bradley Dack, and the visitors had decent claims for handball in the area by Jean Michael Seri which were ignored. 

It didn't matter in the end. Clarke took centre stage to ensure his side returned north with three points, and Bellingham senior will be more than welcome at Rotherham's New York Stadium on Friday.