Attendance: 47,563
Jermain Defoe won the Wear-Tyne derby in style as his thumping volley sealed Sunderland’s fifth consecutive victory over rivals Newcastle.
The Black Cats were in no mood to let their recent stranglehold on the fixture slip, and Defoe’s devastating strike was a fine reward for a dominating first-half performance.
His sweetly-struck volley from the edge of the box is already etched into Wearside folklore and is surely one of the finest ever strikes at the Stadium of Light.
Dick Advocaat’s side were good value for the win and could have had more goals against a Newcastle side who were largely ineffectual.
Sunderland kept their heads in a firecracker atmosphere, and their poise – allied to Defoe’s stunning goal – ultimately proved decisive.
In the days prior to his first home game in charge, Advocaat kept his team selection close to his chest, with the Dutchman confirming that only Lee Cattermole had been told he was sure of his place at a team meeting on Friday.
In the end the midfield general was one of three changes as he replaced Jack Rodwell, while Santiago Vergini deputised for the injured Wes Brown and the excellent Billy Jones was selected ahead of Anthony Reveillere.
The presence of three strikers – Defoe, Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher – in the starting line-up suggested plenty of attacking intent, and Sunderland duly began on the front foot.
The hosts - roared on by a passionate packed house – created the first chance nine minutes in as Jones drove a deep corner back across goal only for the ball to be cleared over the bar by a Newcastle defender inside the six-yard box.
Jordi Gomez tried his luck with a curling free-kick which was well gathered by Tim Krul, before former Sunderland man Jack Colback came to his side's rescue with the midway point of the first half approaching.
Seb Larsson's deep free-kick to the back post was nodded goalwards by Wickham, whose header looked like sneaking in before Colback got in the way right on the line.
Newcastle, meanwhile, barely got out of their own half in the early stages, with a Remy Cabella cross – well cleared by John O'Shea – their first attacking opportunity just before the half-hour.
Defoe thought he'd got a sight of goal with half-time closing in when he raced away onto a Fletcher flick, but Colback made up lost ground to poke the ball behind with the striker set to pull the trigger.
Then Wickham was denied by Krul – the Dutchman blocking at his near post after the striker peeled away from his marker to get a shot in.
Sunderland's first-half dominance deserved a goal, and the hosts duly got themselves on the board with the final kick of the opening period.
And what a goal it was.
A Fletcher flick found Defoe on the edge of the box, and the striker let the ball drop over his shoulder before smashing an unstoppable left-footed volley into the top corner beyond a helpless Krul.
It was one of the best strikes ever seen at the Stadium of Light and its gravity wasn't lost on Defoe, who was pictured in tears as he headed down the tunnel for half time amidst bedlam in the stands.
Stung by the goal, Newcastle assumed a more attacking outlook at the start of the second half, but again it was Sunderland who created the first chance.
A breakaway saw Gomez flight a ball into the path of the unmarked Fletcher, but the striker couldn't get a proper connection and hit his shot off-target.
The Scot had another sight of goal just before the hour, seeing his header well held by Krul after Larsson picked out his colleague with a super cross from the right.
Bookings piled up in a hard-fought encounter which threatened to boil over at points, especially when Ryan Taylor and Patrick van Aanholt clashed on the Sunderland left.
Still it was Sunderland doing most of the attacking, with van Aanholt firing into the side-netting after a flowing move saw him released by Defoe.
Fletcher had a great chance to make it 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining after Defoe picked him out with a raking crossfield pass, but the frontman was forced to double back and fired the eventual shot over the bar.
The hosts' next effort was closer – Larsson's curling free-kick from 25 yards flashing just past the post with Krul at full stretch.
At the other end Costel Pantilimon was forced into his first save of the game with 12 minutes left, palming out a curling effort from sub Emmanuel Riviere.
Adam Johnson replaced goalscorer Defoe a minute later as Sunderland dug in for a big last 10 minutes as they looked to bring home the points.
Larsson almost put the game to bed with six minutes left when van Aanholt picked him out unmarked, but the Swede’s goalbound shot hit the shins of Mike Williamson and trickled wide with the goal gaping.
Hearts were in mouths four minutes later as Newcastle’s best chance went begging – Ayoze Perez drilling over the crossbar from close range after Daryl Janmaat ficked on a corner at the near post.
Advocaat’s side stuck grimly to their guns during five minutes of stoppage time, with a memorable roar going up as Pantilimon claimed a last-gasp corner ahead of counterpart Krul.
The final whistle went moments later to confirm a fifth straight derby win and start the party.