Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle: Regis Le Bris’ gutsy side show they're not just here to survive - as Nick Woltemade's own goal settles fiery Tyne-Wear derby

By last season’s metrics Sunderland are now safe from relegation. Leicester went down in 18th place last time round with a point fewer than Sunderland’s current tally of 26. We are not yet at Christmas and as such that is some achievement – whatever happens now – for Regis Le Bris and his players.

But this was not about any of that. This was not about such pragmatic and conservative notions. This was not about survival. This was about victory, Sunderland’s seventh in the Premier League this season and their first over Newcastle for more than ten years.

This was about guts and glory and a boil lanced. Since that win here over Newcastle in October 2015, Sunderland have been through eleven managers, three divisions and what must have felt like endless humiliations, many of which were captured in what is probably the rawest and most uncomfortable football documentaries of our times.

Sunderland 'Til I Die is what they called it and between then and now this club has suffered a thousand tiny deaths. But their trajectory in recent times has been upwards and it all led to here, an afternoon of attritional but ultimately effective football against an opponent that just could not cope.

So at full-time, there was a small party here on Wearside as Le Bris and his players gathered for a selfie in front of the home fans and the Newcastle players and supporters sloped off in to the winter’s night knowing not only that they had just had a number done on them but also that they had contributed to their own downfall.

Sunderland had been the better team but had not managed a shot on target when Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade headed a cross from Nordi Mukiele in to his own goal in the first minute of the second half.

Since they last beat Newcastle in October 2015 at Stadium of Light, Sunderland have been through eleven managers, three divisions and what must have felt like endless humiliations

Sunderland's trajectory in recent times has been upwards and it all led to here, an afternoon of attritional but ultimately effective football against an opponent that just could not cope

Sunderland had been the better team but had not managed a shot on target when Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade headed a cross into his own goal in the first minute of second half

It was a catastrophic moment for the German forward and one that meant Sunderland not only gained a victory here but also an opportunity to fit a new black and white face in to one of their terrace songs of the future. We await the appearance of that one when these two reconvene this rivalry at St James’ Park later in the season.

Between now and then Sunderland can simply favour what turned out to be a perfect afternoon while Newcastle and their manager Eddie Howe try to work out how to get this strange season moving. Newcastle sit 12th in the table at the moment and it’s pretty much where they deserve to be. They were pretty wretched here and never more so when trying to move up the field. The front three of Woltemade, Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga were simply awful.

For the home team a derby they were fancied to do quite well in would have beyond most Sunderland fans’ most vivid hopes as recently as a year ago. The home team’s progress in recent times has been as rapid as it has been unexpected and so it was that they sniffed opportunity here against a Newcastle team a little unsure of itself this season and fresh from some Champions League travel to Germany in midweek.

That sense of home confidence was evident in way Sunderland set about the game. It was just regrettable that they couldn’t find any sustained quality in the first half to trouble Newcastle consistently.

Sunderland played as though they felt they had a chance and quite right too. They were higher than Newcastle in the Premier Legue table at kick-off. Their problem was that they couldn’t initially back any of it up with the kind of football needed to seriously unsettle a team of established top flight credentials. In fact we reached half-time here without either goalkeeper being tested beyond some sweeping up and routine catching at set pieces.

Sunderland lived in their neighbours’ half for much of the first half. Newcastle had some opportunities to threaten on the break but were undone by poor passing. Howe’s front three were particularly poor when it came to holding the ball up and, without that, Newcastle couldn’t build any pressure of their own.

Much of Sunderland’s better play came when they funnelled the ball out to wide positions. Newcastle looked a little vulnerable when the ball was played across the front of their goal as indeed it was by Bertrand Traore in the 14th minute. On that occasion, Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was flat footed and rescued at the far post by central defender Malick Thiaw.

At full-time, there was a small party here on Wearside as Le Bris and his players gathered for a picture in front of the home fans as the Newcastle supporters sloped off into the winter's night

The atmosphere was fitting for a day that saw these two teams come together in the league for the first time since March 2016 - it was noisy at kick-off and didn’t hugely relent

A cross from the same side – this time through the air from Granit Xhaka – troubled Newcastle again as Dan Ballard rose to head over. But that chance didn’t arrive until the 44th minute and in between the two events not a lot of note happened.

This wasn’t a dirty game but there were some niggles. Within the space of a minute midway through the half, Enzo le Fee fell under pressure from Dan Burn, Xhaka clattered Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Hall came off second best after a challenge from Traore.

Then Sunderland striker Brian Bobbey was booked for waving an imaginary card at referee Peter Bankes before Burn and Mukiele came together on the far side. Replays showed Mudieke sliding into his opponent with his knees. A yellow card was the right outcome but for Burn the end of the afternoon was nigh as he departed soon after with what looked to be damage to his ribs.

The atmosphere was fitting for a day that saw these two teams come together in the league for the first time since March 2016. It was noisy at kick-off and didn’t hugely relent. Only occasionally, during a lull, could the away fans be heard from their vantage point high behind one goal. A shot on target would have helped the visitors but there was precious little sign of one and that was still the case when Sunderland took the lead in a strange way less than a minute into the second half.

For a game that needed a goal but hadn’t threatened one, this was perhaps fitting. Mukiele had been Sunderland’s best crosser up until this point and his delivery was on the money once again. Woltemade was under absolutely no pressure, though, and the fact he got his angle so wrong to head the ball past Ramsdale and in to his own goal was quite shocking.

Something had to jolt Newcastle into some kind of action and, eventually, this did. At first there was some shock. Newcastle didn’t recover their poise for five or ten minutes and during that spell Sunderland threatened a second. One jinking run down the left from Chemsoine Talbi caused consternation in the Newcastle defence and Thiaw was eventually relieved to clear.

It ended chaotically with a rash of yellow cards as tensions boiled over and players squared up

Newcastle and their manager Eddie Howe will try to work out how to get this strange season moving - they sit 12th in the table at the moment and it’s pretty much where they deserve to be

Eventually Newcastle heads cleared and as the game became open they looked a little more dangerous. Howe changed both wide players as Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy replaced Gordon and Anthony Elanga. With fifteen minutes left Yoane Wissa replaced Woltemade who was lampooned by the home fans as he made his way off the field.

Twice Guimaraes drove shots against the palms of Robin Roefs from outside the penalty area. On both occasions the Sunderland goalkeeper was relieved to find the ball coming straight at him. Apart from that, as the game entered the last ten minutes, Newcastle had only territory to show for their increased attacking presence in the game.

Needing energy, Sunderland also made changes and perhaps the most notable was the introduction of forward Wilson Isidor. Sunderland had used Brobbey as a battering ram with some reward but Isidor is a different kind of player and within a minute or so of coming on he had volleyed a far post shot at goal. Ramsdale pushed the ball behind for a corner.

Newcastle pressed as time ran out but couldn’t find any quality. The game ended chaotically and with a rash of yellow cards as tensions boiled over and players squared up. Indeed two of them – Hall and Le Fee – were all but fighting as they ran alongside each other as the final whistle blew. The yellow card tally was 4-3 to the home team by the time it was all over. They managed to win that one, too.