Crystal Palace boss Allardyce, taking on the Black Cats for the first time since leaving to take over England briefly last summer, was left stunned along with the rest of the country as his former club turned on the style.

• Four key issues from today's game plus Moyes' reaction

Sunderland ended an eight game run without a win in style to give their chances of survival a huge boost – and the victory was secured before a ball had even been kicked in the second half.

Lamine Kone had already put Sunderland on their way to a crucial win in the ninth minute before Didier Ndong hit a brilliant first for the club three minutes before the break.

Then Jermain Defoe took his tally to 14 for the season by scoring twice in stoppage-time at the end of the half to leave David Moyes smiling and Allardyce shell-shocked.

It was the first time Sunderland, solid and effective throughout, had taken a four-goal lead into the break during a Premier League game since beating Chelsea in December 1999 at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland impressed throughout the 90 minutes. After a bright start and a few early touches for Patrick van Aanholt down the left, it was clear that they were in the mood to make a game of it. And so they should have been.

Palace had the worst home record in the league and the danger signs were there for them as soon as Defoe had shrugged off Damien Delaney to force Wayne Hennessey into an early save.

Sunderland, with debutant Bryan Oviedo effective down the left, looked organised from the outset and frustrated Palace every time they tried to go forward. Kone made two strong clearances with his head when Christian Benteke lurked in the area.

And after Sunderland had taken the lead in the ninth minute they never looked back. Van Aanholt, who had a poor afternoon anyway after making the £14m move from Wearside before deadline day, was guilty of conceding the free-kick as he chased Adnan Januzaj with James McArthur.

Seb Larsson floated the free-kick to the back post, where Kone nodded back across goal for Billy Jones to jump with Hennessey and, with no foul given, Kone was on hand to volley in the opener.

James Tomkins wasted a chance to level with his header and after that Sunderland took command, with the three-goal burst before the break.

Joe Ledley, a replacement for the injured Yohan Cabaye, was guilty of dawdling and Ndong robbed him in his own half before carrying a few yards and firing the second off the inside of Hennessey’s left hand post from fully 25 yards.

That arrived with three minutes remaining of the first half and Defoe grabbed his quickfire double before the half-time whistle went. Palace were their own downfall for both.

Januzaj was allowed too much space down both flanks in the build ups. The first saw the Belgian charge down the left unmarked, roll a pass into Defoe and he then clinically picked out the far corner.

The second arrived when Januzaj, preferred ahead of Fabio Borini, was fed possession down the right. This time he rolled into the feet of Defoe, who turned his markers before picking out the inside corner of Hennessey’s net.

Sunderland fans went crazy at one end while Crystal Palace’s supporters chanted you’re not fit to wear the shirt, with one even encroaching the pitch to complain and he had to be escorted off the pitch.

Palace did rally after the restart and had a couple of efforts fly wide or over the target, but overall Sunderland’s resilience kept them comfortably in front without any hint that the lead would be reduced until late on.

Januzaj went close to adding a fifth when he directed an effort inches wide of the post from 22 yards and the closest Palace came was when Jason Puncheon’s drive was cleared off the line by Jason Denayer.

This was Moyes' Sunderland’s day and it certainly wasn’t Allardyce’s Palace or Sunderland old-boy van Aanholt’s.

SUNDERLAND (5-3-2): Mannone; Jones, Kone, O’Shea (Lescott 57), Denayer, Oviedo; Rodwell (Gibson 52), Ndong, Larsson; Januzaj (Pienaar 78); Defoe. Subs (not used): Mika (gk), Manquillo, Borini, Khazri.

CRYSTAL PALACE (3-5-2): Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Tomkins, Delaney (Townsend 46), van Aanholt; Cabaye (Ledley 26), McArthur (Remy 62); Puncheon, Zaha; Benteke. Subs (not used): Speroni (gk), Fryers, Sakho, Flamini.