TONY Mowbray this week revealed that he’s been boosted by recent conversations with rival managers, who have talked up his Sunderland side and labelled them one of the best teams in the league.

At the Stadium of Light on Sunday, rivals Middlesbrough discovered why Sunderland have been subject of such praise. For while Boro have been in blistering form and charged into promotion contention in recent weeks, they were outplayed by the Black Cats, who deserved all three points.

Michael Carrick often talks about the importance of control, but his side never managed to wrestle it from Sunderland, who were faster, sharper and played with more intensity and invention. Their victory, thanks to Ross Stewart’s 11th goal of the season and a late strike from the brilliant Amad, lifted the Black Cats to ninth in the table, but just a point behind sixth-placed Boro, who suffered defeat under Carrick for just the third time.

And yet despite Sunderland’s dominance for the most-part, it took a slightly contentious penalty to set them on their way in this Wear-Tees derby. There’s no doubt there was contact between Dael Fry and Stewart as they engaged in a leg race, chasing a delightful through-ball from Patrick Roberts, but it started well outside the box. Stewart, it should be said, was clever with his timing of the tumble. Fry was sent off and for Boro, an uphill climb became that bit steeper. Fry has been brilliant for Boro under Carrick but struggled against Stewart.

The incident for the first goal would have been avoided had Boro keeper Zack Steffen been sharper off his line to sweep up the danger and clear the Roberts pass. Steffen made a superb save to deny Stewart from the spot, but the striker was on hand to slot home the rebound.

The goal and the red card actually sparked Boro into life a bit, for they were sluggish for much of the opening period but had their moments after falling behind. But the hosts wrapped up the points thanks to the outstanding Amad late on.

Carrick knows Amad well having coached the youngster at Manchester United but even with that inside knowledge, Boro were unable to contain the 20-year-old. Both he and Roberts, a player Boro know well, troubled the visitors throughout.

Boro were workmanlike but lacked the spark of an Amad, Roberts or Clarke.

Mowbray and Sunderland will wonder how it took 51 minutes for the deadlock to be broken.

Darragh Lenihan, a surprise inclusion on the Boro teamsheet after returning from a foot injury quicker than expected, was the first to test a keeper with a speculative effort from distance comfortably saved by Anthony Patterson, but from that moment onwards Steffen was by far the busier.

He very nearly gifted Sunderland the opener when he played a sloppy pass straight to the feet of Amad on the edge of the box, the young forward shooting wide to the relief of the Manchester City loanee.

Despite the miss, the 20-year-old was in the mood. He tortured Boro with his movement and only a fantastic last ditch tackle by Fry prevented him from firing Sunderland ahead at the quarter-of-an-hour mark.

Steffen cut a relieved figure again 10 minutes later when he spilled a Roberts shot into the path of Stewart, who turned home, the keeper’s blushes spared by the raised flag of the assistant.

Sunderland looked the more likely throughout the first half but Boro retained a threat on the counter. Patterson made a superb save to deny Forss after Boro worked it well from left to right, the home keeper tipping a low strike around the post.

But there was a warning of things to come on the stroke of half-time, when Fry failed to deal with a high through-ball that set Stewart away, Steffen this time coming to the rescue, making a fine save.

There was no repeat early in the second half when Stewart got the better of Fry in what proved to be the decisive moment, Amad adding the late goal he deserved to end Sunderland’s seven-match winless run in this fixture.