Full time: Sunderland 3 Stoke City 1

STEVEN Fletcher scored twice as Sunderland recorded their first win of the season with a 3-1 defeat of Stoke City at the Stadium of Light.

Fletcher, making only his fourth start of the season, scored in either half after Connor Wickham had given Gus Poyet’s men a fourth minute lead.

Charlie Adam equalised for Stoke in the 15th minute, but the Black Cats deserved the win, which lifts them to 11th in the Premier League table.

Poyet made two changes to the side that drew with Swansea last weekend with Jordi Gomez and Steven Fletcher both named in his starting line-up.

The Black Cats boss made the bold move to leave out £20m duo Jack Rodwell and Adam Johnson, but his decision to play both Fletcher and Wickham paid off after only four minutes.

The Scottish strike collected a throw in from Billy Jones and went shook off two challenges to cross into Wickham, who out jumped Phil Bardsley to head Sunderland in front.

Fletcher was making his first start since the defeat to Queens Park Rangers on August 30 and the striker certainly looked rejuvenated.

It was the perfect start to Poyet’s side, but on the quarter-hour mark Charlie Adam silenced the Stadium of Light with an equaliser.

Victor Moses sent the midfielder free on the left hand side of the area and he beat both Santiago Vergini and John O’Shea to drill low into the far corner.

The atmosphere inside the Stadium of Light went flat after the equaliser, but Sunderland continued to create chances with Seb Larsson’s drive deflected over the bar.

Sunderland went ahead for the second time in the 23rd minute when Gomez collected Larsson’s short corner and crossed in for Fletcher to head past Asmir Begovic.

Stoke thought they had equalised again when Ryan Shawcross met Adam’s corner, but despite the away fans celebrating, the defender’s header had landed on the roof of the net.

Will Buckley almost scored with a cross when he spotted Begovic off his line seven minutes before the break, but the Potters keeper recovered well to tip the winger’s effort over the bar.

The Potters saw plenty of the ball in the early stages of the second half, but despite Sunderland living dangerously at times they clung onto their lead.

Larsson did well to beat Marko Arnautovic on the left, but his cross failed to reach either Fletcher or Wickham.

Chances were at a premium in the second period, but Mannone adjusted well to save from Oussama Assaidi’s deflected cross.

Then, in the 79th minute Sunderland all but sealed their first three points of the season.

A superb run from Wickham saw the young striker pass several players before crossing in to the box, and after substitute Jack Rodwell missed the ball, Fletcher was waiting behind him to hook in from close range.

SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1): Mannone; Jones, Vergini, O’Shea, Van Aanholt; Cattermole; Buckley (Johnson, 60), Larsson (Rodwell, 71), Gomez (Bridcutt, 71), Wickham; Fletcher.

Subs (not used): Pantilimon, Brown, Altidore, Mavrias.

STOKE CITY (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Bardsley, Shawcross, Wilson, Muniesa; Nzonzi, Whelan (Bojan, 70); Arnautovic, Adam, Moses (Assaidi, 18); Crouch (Walters, 78).

Subs (not used): Sorensen, Pieters, Huth, Ireland.