Victor Anichebe was Sunderland’s hero as they completed back-to-back Premier League victories despite the Stadium of Light briefly failing to live up to its name.
Anichebe’s double after Jermain Defoe had racked up his 150th Premier League goal sealed a priceless win over fellow strugglers Hull and gave the Black Cats, who had Papy Djilobodji sent off for a second bookable offence in stoppage time, renewed hope of dragging themselves out of trouble.
However, they were left sweating when the floodlights went out, prompting a unscheduled nine-minute second-half break. After order was restored, David Moyes’ side killed off the game through the excellent Anichebe to claim their first three-point haul of the season at home in front of a crowd of 41,271 and ease themselves to within two points of the visitors.
On a day when Sunderland honoured 80-year-old Charlie Hurley, captain of the 1964 promotion team, the focus quickly shifted to the present and a future which remains uncertain. Black Cats keeper Jordan Pickford was called upon for the first time with less than two minutes on the clock when Dieumerci Mbokani showed Djilobodji a clean pair of heels to test him at his near post.
