THREE goals and three points to end a run of three defeats on the bounce. Sunderland are back on track and their victory against Norwich City on Saturday afternoon was very much deserved.

Both teams came into this game on the back of troubling recent runs but Sunderland looked determined to end their winless stretch from the off. They were positive from the get-go and had too much for Norwich, even if they did have to fight back from behind after a controversial opener at the midway point of the first half.

Trai Hume cancelled out Hwang’s strike before Dan Neil put the Black Cats in front on the stroke of half-time after brilliant build-up play from the game’s star man Jack Clarke. It was Clarke who wrapped up the points 10 minutes from time when he won and scored a penalty. That’s now nine goals for the season for Clarke. In this form, he’s a joy to watch and he caused Norwich no end of problems, particularly in the first half.

Despite the run of defeats, Mowbray has been calm rather than concerned and felt the midweek performance at Leicester was one of the best of the season so far. With that in mind, the head coach was never likely to ring the changes for the visit of the Canaries, but he did opt for one alteration, handing Rusyn his first start in place of Mason Burstow.

Norwich headed for the Wearside troubled by a stretch of just one win in seven games, with boss David Wagner making four changes on the back of the midweek defeat at home to Middlesbrough.

Rusyn was up against one of the league’s leakiest backlines. Only Huddersfield had conceded more goals than the Canaries ahead of kick-off – and that was because the Terriers let four in at Leeds in the game’s early kick-off.

And it quickly became apparent that the visiting backline would be kept busy. Sunderland had two thirds of possession in the first quarter of an hour, with Norwich rarely advancing into the home half. Clarke was in the mood down the left flank and the winger came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock midway through the first half when he cut in and hit a fierce strike that crashed off the outside of the post.

Two minutes later, against the run of play, the visitors were ahead to a backdrop of fury from the home stands. Norwich countered but with Gabriel Sara clearly offside on the right flank, Ekwah let the ball roll in the direction of the visiting forward expecting a flag. But Sara didn’t touch the ball and instead left it to the overlapping Kellen Fisher – who was onside – who cut it back for Hwang to drive into the far corner.

Fair play to Sunderland for the way they responded. Having dominated the early exchanges, they could have felt sorry for themselves after falling behind. Instead, they dusted themselves down and set about finding a way back into the game. The equaliser they deserved came eight minutes before half-time. Roberts cut it back to Hume and the defender’s first time effort flashed through a sea of bodies before deflecting off Shane Duffy and nestling in the far corner.

Norwich looked terrified of Clarke, and with good reason. In the last minute of the first half, the winger somehow kept the ball and stayed on his feet despite being surrounded by men in yellow, before picking out an inch-perfect defence splitting pass into the path of Neil, who calmly lifted the ball over Long.

For all Sunderland controlled the early stages of the second half, the importance of a third goal was made clear just before the hour mark when Norwich – in their first foray forward since the restart – hit the post when Fassnacht met a cross from the left with a header.

Norwich had their moments in the second half and the game looked set for a nervy finale, before Clarke was fouled inside the box by Kenny McLean and picked himself up to slot home from the spot and wrap up all three points.