Peter Reid was given breathing space by David Bellion's first goal for Sunderland.
Bellion secured a 1 - 0 win against Aston Villa when he fired home an angled drive from the edge of the penalty box after 69 minutes.
It was a scrappy game, with few chances for either side as Reid and Villa boss Graham Taylor looked for the result that would secure their managerial futures.
Julio Harca and Jody Craddock made impressive returns for Sunderland, for whom the win ended a run of four games without a victory.
Read more about Sunderland here.
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