SAM ALLARDYCE is happy with the progress that has been made since taking over at the Stadium of Light but has warned against complacency.

The 2-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday has lifted the Black Cats two points clear of the relegation zone having spent the whole of the season so far in the bottom three.

The turnaround has been achieved purely since Allardyce took over, with Sunderland collecting nine points from his six games in charge.

But the former West Ham boss remains focused on the longer term and wants to ensure Sunderland are safe long before the end of the season – unlike recent years.

Allardyce said: "We might be out of the bottom three, but it's still relegation in terms of points per game played and we have got to make sure we continue to lessen that gap, the quicker the better and certainly by winning three in the first six, it takes us to where we want to be going.

“I said when I came here, I don't really want to be doing what the club has done over the last four years and have to win a huge amount of games in the last six or eight matches. Let's try not to get there and let's try to do it as quickly as we can.”

The mere fact Sunderland have climbed out of the drop zone highlights that they have at least got a chance after the appointment of Allardyce.

Sunderland’s second win inside a week did the job, with Patrick van Aanholt’s 82nd minute followed by Duncan Watmore’s predatory finish two minutes later.

Allardyce said: “Dunc scoring the winning goal, a new contract, a Masters degree - it doesn't get any better than that does it. We just have to make sure we keep his feet on the ground.

"He came on and with what he has shown me, in the short time that I have been here, I had no hesitation for him to come on for Jermain.

"The impact of Duncan is one of the major factors of winning this game. He caused the central defenders so many problems in the first and second half. They had to resort to fouling him and that got Ryan Shawcross sent off.

"We then had to find two pieces of quality to beat a resilient Stoke, Adam and Patrick van Aanholt's free-kick and then young Dunc's second."