Sunderland got straight back to winning ways at the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon

Though it was far from a classic Sunderland display, in the end it was a precious three points.

The opening hour had been a tough watch not because Sunderland were outplayed or outclassed, but because Fulham showed them the respect their seventh-place finish deserved and challenged them to make most of the running. The Black Cats, still short of their sharpest, struggled to create openings and had to deal with some sporadic, dangerous breaks.

Credit to Régis Le Bris, who turned the game with two strong substitutions and though he only was able to take one of them, Wilson Isidor was presented with two chances big enough to warrant a win any game.

It was a first half low on incident, the two sides cancelling each other out with neither goalkeeper being tasked with making a save of note.

The challenge that Sunderland will face this season was laid bare, Fulham respectful and largely sitting off when the Black Cats had the ball. They challenged the hosts to make something happen and though there were some promising moves and tidy bits of play, they struggled to create chances.

The positive for Sunderland and Le Bris was that Fulham themselves were creating little, though they forged by the best chance of the half midway through when Alex Iwobi sprung Josh King in on goal with an excellent pass over the top of the defence. Roefs did well to get off his line and close the angle, but King would nevertheless have been bitterly disappointed to have missed the target.

Sunderland continued to move the ball patiently and though there were glimpses of openings and some dangerous set plays from Xhaka, all Bernd Leno had to do was save one weak effort from Meunier on the edge of the box. Reinildo then had to be alert to defend well when King sprung through on goal again just before the interval, underlining why Alvaro Arbeloa would have been the happier of the two managers at the interval.

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Though Sunderland started the second half with intent and Angulo looking lively, the pattern of the game was similar with the better moments falling to Fulham on the break. The visitors threatened in transition even if chances were still few and far between, with Mukiele making one very good block when Garcia broke through on goal.

Le Bris unsurprisingly turned to his bench and with one of his first touches, Isidor missed a golden opportunity to put his side ahead. Xhaka sprung Le Fee, who had moved to the left flank, free with an excellent ball over the tap and though the first-time pass back across goal was inch perfect the substitute could only fire his effort off the foot of the post with the goal gaping.

The changes had been the right ones, though, with Diarra bringing much needed energy in the right-hand channel and Le Fee far more prominent. It led to the crucial breakthrough when Diarra raced clear, squaring another inch-perfect pass that this time Isidor simply could not miss. He finished emphatically, a huge moment in the game tampered only by Diarra being forced off with an injury issue minutes later.

Though Sunderland had to defend resolutely late on as you'd expect, Roefs was largely untroubled and it was substitute Mundle who had the best chance when he fired at Leno when released on goal. It had not be an easy watch but Sunderland's XG had nudged up towards two and Fulham had not registered a shot on target. A tough, deserved win and one that will ease some nerves after that opening-day loss.