LAST season, Bolton’s visit to the Stadium of Light proved the beginning of the end for Roy Keane, who resigned his position as manager in the wake of a 4-1 defeat.

Fifteen months on, and his successor, Steve Bruce, was able to reflect on a four-goal victory that could have equally far-reaching repercussions in terms of his own role.

With Sunderland’s American owner, Ellis Short, watching from the stands, Bruce’s position might have been all but untenable had his side extended their winless Premier League run to 15 matches.

Instead, an early strike from Fraizer Campbell and a second-half hat-trick from Darren Bent enabled the Black Cats to record their biggest league win of the season and pull six points clear of the relegation zone in the process.

Bright and inventive from the off, the Wearsiders were unrecognisable from the nervous, fearful outfit that had struggled in recent home matches against the likes of Stoke, Wigan and Fulham.

It is too early to talk of safety being secured, but if Sunderland display similar appetite and enthusiasm in their forthcoming home games with Manchester City and Birmingham, a frantic end to the season should be avoided.

The return of Steed Malbranque in midfield undoubtedly helped, and after weeks of ineffective performances, Bent and Kenwyne Jones finally looked like a pair of attackers capable of ripping an opposition defence to shreds.

The contrast to recent performances was stark throughout. A lack of creativity has been a key factor in Sunderland’s wretched post-November run, and the club’s previous home game against Fulham had contained a dearth of creativity and goalmouth action.

How refreshing, then, that the Black Cats should create more in 40 seconds than they managed in the whole of the 90 minutes against the Cottagers.

Sam Ricketts’ weak clearing header was too close to Lorik Cana, and after juggling the ball on his chest, the Sunderland skipper fashioned a looped cross from the left.

Campbell anticipated it, and after stealing behind his marker, the striker-cum-winger bundled home his first league goal for the Wearsiders from close range.

Campbell’s attacking opportunities have been limited since he made a £3.5m move from Manchester United in the summer, but his predatory instincts clearly remain as well honed as ever. The only shame is that he does not always display the necessary composure to make the most of them.

Twelve minutes after scoring, the 22-year-old was presented with an equally inviting opportunity as Lee Cattermole crossed from the right, but from no more than eight yards, he directed a free header wide.

Bolton had already made the net bulge themselves by that stage, but with John Mensah misreading the flight of the ball in the air, Gretar Steinsson’s long throw went straight in without a touch.

Whether Craig Gordon allowed it to pass him unhindered or not is open to debate.

What was rather less disputable was the quality of football on display, and with Campbell, Bent and Jones displaying unexpected vision and verve, Sunderland produced some of their best attacking play for months.

Campbell was at the heart of much of their most effective work, and a 23rd-minute through ball that went unsurpassed for the rest of the game should have resulted in Bent doubling his side’s lead.

The England international galloped clear in the inside-left channel, but after effortlessly turning inside Steinsson, he dragged a low shot wide of the right-hand post. Eventually, though, his goals would come.

With the match every bit as open as last Sunday’s had been closed, Bolton were always likely to create chances, and Zat Knight fired over the crossbar after Anton Ferdinand had failed to reach an aimless long ball.

The action continued to be concentrated at the other end though, and while Jussi Jaaskelainen was forced into a smart full-length save to deny Jones, the goalkeeper would have struggled to deny Alan Hutton had the full-back’s 14-yard prod flown the other side of the upright.

As it was, the hosts entered the break with only one goal to show for their sterling first-half efforts, and the fragility of their advantage was underlined by the sight of Gordon sprawling to his left to make a full-length save from Johan Elmander after Mensah had lost a tussle with Davies.

Bolton’s early second-half approach was much more purposeful than their first, and while Malbranque continued to prompt and probe from the left of Sunderland’s midfield, the hosts found themselves pegged in their own half for long periods.

They desperately needed a second goal to provide some breathing space, and it duly arrived from a tried-and-tested source in the 64th minute.

Cattermole’s precise through ball afforded Bent a run to the area, and after cutting inside onto his right foot, Sunderland’s leading scorer crashed a fierce low finish past Jaaskelainen. Of all his 16 Premier League goals this season, it was surely the most important.

Numbers 17 and 18 came along shortly after, with Bent’s pace beyond the final defender proving too much for the Bolton defence to handle.

Malbranque sent him clear with 16 minutes left, but his progress was halted by a push from the out-of-position Ricketts. It looked a professional foul, but referee Steve Bennett opted to show the defender his second yellow card of the evening instead.

The outcome was the same, and Bent meted out further punishment by hammering his spot-kick to Jaaskelainen’s left.

Suddenly, his first Sunderland hat-trick was on the cards, and it duly arrived with three minutes left.

Campbell was the provider, pulling the ball back intelligently from the right touchline, and having pulled off his marker, Bent drilled home a fierce low strike. Perhaps a May double of survival and a call-up to the World Cup is not out of the question yet.

Goals: Campbell (1min, 1-0), Bent (64, 2-0; 74, pen, 3-0; 87, 4-0).

Bookings: Cana (30mins, foul), Ricketts (33, foul), Lee (59, dissent), Bent (65, over celebration).

Sending Offs: Ricketts (74mins, second yellow card, foul).

Referee: Steve Bennett (Orpington) - 5.

Attendance: 36,087.

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Gordon 7; Hutton 6, Turner 6, Mensah 7 (Zenden 79mins), Ferdinand 6; Campbell 7, Cana 6, Cattermole 7 (Bardsley 70mins), MALBRANQUE 8 (Benjani 85mins); Jones 7, Bent 8.

Subs (not used): Carson (gk), McCartney, Da Silva, Kilgallon, Zenden.

BOLTON (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen 5; Steinsson 4, Ricketts 4, Knight 5, Robinson 4; LEE 6, Muamba 5 (Weiss 58mins 5), Wilshere 6, Gardner 5 (Taylor 73mins); Elmander 4 (Klasnic 65mins 4), Davies 5.

Subs (not used): Al Habsi (gk), Samuel, O’Brien, Riga.

Man Of The Match: STEED Malbranque – The previously exiled midfielder provided some much-needed creativity as his disciplinary breach was quickly forgotten.