A second-half power cut temporarily plunged Wearside into darkness but, once generators kicked in and play finally resumed, Victor Anichebe effectively switched the lights back on for Sunderland.
Anichebe is far from the most prolific of strikers but, suddenly galvanised, he became almost unplayable, scoring two goals which finally lifted David Moyes side off the bottom of the Premier League and made survival seem an increasingly feasible proposition.
With Jermain Defoe also on the scoresheet, Jason Denayer impressing in a holding midfield capacity and Jordan Pickford excelling in goal, Sunderland not only recorded a second successive win but hauled Hull City back into deep trouble.
“Victor was immense,” said Moyes, who, addressing a dimly lit media conference, acknowleded Hull had “several” chances. “Victor needs to be loved but he was immense today - and some of the saves Jordan Pickford made were unbelievable.”
MIke Phelan could barely credit some of his side’s misses. “We didn’t take our chances,” said the visiting manager. “It’s frustrating and annoying. At the end of a week in which a Chinese consortium abandoned interest in buying the East Yorkshire club, Phelan reverted to a flat back four, offering 17-year-old Josh Tymon a League debut at left back. With a five-man midfield behind Dieumerci Mbokani - Hull’s lone, not to mention sole fit, striker - his side started well, initially monopolising possession to an almost embarrassing extent.
Sam Clucas looked particularly classy in midfield, his manoeuvres leaving Moyes with a deep, seemingly semi-permanent, frown. Fortunately for Sunderland’s manager, all this ball hogging merely produced a few half chances - although, significantly, Pickford did save smartly from Mkobani and, later, Clucas.
Indeed by deploying Denayer - integral to home victory - in that quasi sweeping role and asking Paddy McNair to help Patrick van Aanholt out in subduing the dangerous Robert Snodgrass, Moyes seemed to have hit upon a reasonably successful containment strategy.
Moreover as the minutes ticked by and home nerves slowly steadied, his side began threatening on the break. They might well have had a penalty when David Marshall charged into Duncan Watmore, sending the winger crashing. In another dangerous cameo, Tymon justified his place by bravely heading the ball away under acute pressure from Anichebe after Marshall tipped Watmore’s cross into the forward’s path.
Defoe specialises in asking questions defenders cannot answer and, sure enough, Hull’s had no answers to him in the 34th minute. Sunderland fans dare not imagine where they might be without the former England striker and, once again, Defoe eased considerable local pressure, courtesy of his 150th Premier League goal.
It arrived after Watmore flicked on a long ball, wrong-footing a confounded Michael Dawson. With Dawson effectively removed from the equation, Defoe delighted in dodging first Curtis Davies and then Ahmed Elmohamady before shifting the ball onto his left foot and shooting low beyond Marshall.
The second half had barely begun before the electricity supply to the floodlights failed, prefacing a dusky 10 minute hiatus. Once light had been restored, Hull might swiftly have equalised but Ryan Mason lost his cool and shot wide from 12 yards after Snodgrass’s skill created an excellent chance.
Instead it was Sunderland who extended their lead when, meeting Van Aanholt’s delivery, Anichebe stepped inside Tymon and beat Marshall at his near post with a left foot shot.
Refusing to give up, Snodgrass attempted an audacious, extremely clever, overhead kick which forced Pickford to perform acrobatics before somehow tipping the ball to safety. It was a brilliant save which further emphasised why it is surely only a matter of time until Pickford becomes England’s first choice keeper.
Hull saw a penalty appeal rejected when Clucas went down under Watmore’s challenge and had three headed chances in quick succession as Pickford saved brilliantly from Davies, Mbokani’s effort was cleared off the line and Jake Livermore’s blocked.
Anichebe showed them how to score, meeting Defoe’s rolled pass before his first touch took him away from his minder and his second involved his lashing a third goal in two games in off a post.
Sunderland’s Papy Djilobodji was subsequently sent off for collecting a second yellow card but, by then, the lights had well and truly gone out for Hull.
