Full-time: Sunderland 2 Burnley 0

JERMAIN DEFOE grabbed his first goal in a Sunderland shirt to earn Gus Poyet’s men a second Premier League home win of the season.

The January signing from Toronto was perfectly placed inside the Burnley box to tap Patrick van Aanholt’s cross over the line 11 minutes before half-time.

That gave Sunderland the extra breathing space required after taking the lead 14 minutes earlier when Connor Wickham power headed a deep Anthony Reveillere centre beyond goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

Just seven days after Poyet had described a ‘missing connection’ with the Black Cats fans following a drab goalless draw with Fulham in the FA Cup, this was the sort of routine afternoon he craved.

Burnley wasted a couple of first half chances but Sunderland, without being brilliant, did enough to earn some much-needed confidence by claiming three points to climb further clear of the bottom three.

After the restart Sean Dyche’s men looked more dangerous but Costel Pantilimon was rarely troubled and the defence in front of him did its job to help Sunderland secure a first win since the pre-Christmas win at Newcastle.

Sunderland overcame some early nerves to finally claim a second home win of the season, arriving three months after the first was sealed against Stoke City.

Wickham’s first goal since December 3, followed by Defoe’s, was the ideal ending for a Sunderland team asking the latter and Adam Johnson to push right up with Defoe to form a three-pronged attack.

SUNDERLAND (4-1-2-3): Pantilimon; Reveillere, Vergini, O'Shea, Van Aanholt; Bridcutt; Gomez, Larsson; Wickham (Graham 75), Defoe (Fletcher 75), Johnson (Alvarez 86). Subs (not used): Mannone (gk), Jones, Coates, Giaccherini.

BURNLEY (4-4-2): Heaton; Trippier, Shackell, Keane, Mee; Boyd (Wallace 61), Marney, Jones, Arfield; Barnes (Vokes 86), Ings (Jutkiewicz 61). Subs (not used): Gilks, Duff, Kightly, Reid.