'Persistent threat': Phil Smith's Sunderland report and player rating photos with a 9 and an 8 - gallery

Sunderland made a much-deserved return to winning ways after a Tommy Watson brace saw off Stoke City’s challenge at the Stadium of Light.

Watson had equalised inside a minute of Jason Koumas’s early opener, and the Black Cats were dominant thereafter. They struggled to turn those chances into goals and it looked as if another big opportunity was passing them by when the youngster’s deflected effort flew into the back of the net.

Sunderland had started brightly in the truly dire conditions, going close when Patrick Roberts cut inside and fired an effort just over.

The signs were promising but the Black Cats found themselves caught out by a long punt forward, Koumas breaking off the shoulder of Alese and running through on goal. Patterson saved well from the initial effort, but Koumas converted the follow up with an excellent dinked finish in the far corner. Sunderland were stunned, but responded inside a minute. From Patterson’s long ball forward Watson and Jobe played a 1-2, the winger curling his first senior goal into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Watson then almost made it two shortly after, Johansson saving well at the near post.

Both sides looked dangerous on the break in an open contest, but Sunderland began to take charge towards the end of the half and should have taken the lead. Johansson made a stunning save from Isidor’s low free kick, before denying the striker from close range as he ran through on goal. The Frenchman then missed a huge chance as he volleyed Alese’s cross wide from inside the box, before Watson curled another effort off the foot of the far post.

Sunderland would have been ahead at the break if not for Johansson, but a good stop from Patterson in stoppage time was a reminder of Stoke’s threat.

Though the visitors threatened intermittently through the second half it looked very much as if the key would be whether Sunderland could take their chances. Rigg had an effort well blocked before Watson missed a sitter from a matter of yards following some nice play from Roberts.

When Isidor’s close-range effort was ruled out for offside it looked like another afternoon of frustration, but Watson’s late strike secured Sunderland’s first win since late October.