POP star Prince famously urged music fans to "party like it's 1999" during his heyday and, last night, Sunderland's supporters followed his every word.

A hard-earned 2-0 win over Burnley took the Black Cats to the summit of English football's second tier for the first time since they were crowned champions of the First Division some six years ago.

And, while 1999 will forever be remembered as one of the most pleasurable years in Sunderland's recent history, the current campaign could yet result in just as enjoyable a promotion party.

April trips to Wigan and Ipswich represent significant hurdles yet to be overcome but, if Mick McCarthy's side can reproduce the effort and application they produced at Turf Moor, the club's remaining games should not present an insurmountable obstacle.

Last night's win was hardly emphatic and, at times, the sight of two committed sides trading tackles was anything but entertaining.

But, at this stage of the season, points make prizes and, by earning three of them, Liam Lawrence's 26th-minute header could prove to be one of Sunderland's most important goals of the season.

Marcus Stewart's late second settled a contest that was often too close to call, and piled the pressure on both Wigan and Ipswich ahead of their meeting at the JJB Stadium this afternoon.

Sunderland's fans were singing "We're going to win the league" as Burnley's Ade Akinbiyi was dismissed in the closing stages but, earlier, things had looked like being much tighter as Sunderland initially struggled to break down a physically imposing Burnley backline.

With surprise starter Michael Bridges failing to shake off the attention of seasoned centre-half Frank Sinclair, and Stewart unable to hold the ball long enough to bring his midfielders into the game, the Black Cats endured a lacklustre opening spell in which they rarely strayed into the Burnley box.

Their opponents were no brighter - perhaps a reflection of the energy they had expended trying to get one over on local rivals Blackburn on Tuesday night - and the opening 20 minutes passed without a single effort on goal from either side.

But, just as the game was settling into a dour, if hard-fought, midfield battle, Sunderland unexpectedly broke the stalemate midway through the first half.

Thornton's corner caused confusion in the Burnley defence and, while a combination of Peter Whittingham and Micah Hyde were on hand to block Stewart's instinctive volley, Lawrence pounced to head home when the ball looped up inside the six-yard box.

Lawrence scored three goals in four games before picking up a knee injury at the turn of the year and, while last night's strike will not be the most aesthetic of his career, his knack of being in the right place at the right time could prove particularly useful in the next two months.

The former Mansfield midfielder thought he had scored the winner in December's home game between the two sides but, after his free-kick found its way into the net, Bridges was given credit for the faintest of touches on the line.

At least that effort still ended in a Sunderland goal, which was more than could be said after another goalline intervention hindered him on the stroke of half-time last night.

Latching on to another Thornton corner inside the six-yard box, Lawrence's goalbound header clearly struck midfielder Whittingham on the arm, but referee Iain Williamson waved away his frantic appeals for a penalty.

The decision robbed Sunderland of a potentially decisive two-goal lead, but that might have been forthcoming anyway had Lawrence tapped home the rebound rather turning to argue his cause with the match official.

Williamson had antagonised the visitors quarter of an hour earlier when he booked Stephen Caldwell following a tussle with the ineffectual Graham Branch but, while the foul gave Burnley a rare attacking outlet, Jean Louis Valois' tame free-kick failed to trouble Thomas Myhre.

The Sunderland stopper was similarly unperturbed when Valois tried his luck from 20 yards seven minutes after the break, although he was stretched on the hour mark as Williamson again missed a handling offence.

Gary Cahill was the benefactor on this occasion, nudging Valois' corner towards goal with his arm before Myhre scrambled the ball to safety.

Sunderland's second-half attacking was severely restricted, with Stewart and Bridges spending most of their time in their own half to aid a spirited rearguard resistance.

Carl Robinson and Jeff Whitley were typically tigerish at the heart of midfield while, in defence, Caldwell and Gary Breen won header after header as Burnley dominated possession without ever seriously threatening to make a breakthrough.

The only time they were found wanting came in the 82nd minute when substitute Akinbiyi ghosted in between them to meet Mo Camara's left-wing cross, only to plant his header straight at Myhre.

That was hardly the perfect start to Akinbiyi's Burnley career, but there was far worse to come just three minutes into his debut following a £600,000 move from Stoke this week.

The former Leicester striker, who was a figure of fun during his time at the Walkers Stadium, was clearly rattled by the miss as his next move was a double whammy that saw him sensationally sent off.

Akinbiyi aimed at forearm smash at George McCartney as the full back ushered the ball out, before headbutting him for good measure as the pair squared up.

Burnley boss Steve Cotterill was understandably furious at his new signing's antics, and his mood worsened when his former employers added a second with two minutes left.

Chris Brown held off Cahill on the right touchline and Stewart was alert enough to convert the substitute's low centre.

* Young Sunderland keeper Ben Alnwick has committed his long-term future to the club after signing a two-year extension to his current deal. The Gateshead-born 18-year-old is now contracted to the to the club until June 2008.

Result: Burnley 0 Sunderland 2.

Read more about Sunderland here.