Sunderland have made the most of Fulham having a man sent off to win 3-1 at Craven Cottage today.
Cottagers centre-half Brede Hangeland was given his marching orders by referee Lee Probert just after the half-hour mark in what could be described as a questionable decision with the Norwegian winning the ball in a strong challenge on Lee Cattermole in the middle of the pitch.
Nevertheless, the decision stood and Fulham were to play the final hour of the match with ten men which proved too much for Martin Jol's men who conceded three times in the second half.
The opening Black Cats goal came five minutes in the second term when Steven Fletcher grabbed his sixth of the campaign by neatly finishing Adam Johnson's sublime pass.
The 62nd minute saw Fulham equalise when Mladen Petric, who came on just minutes prior, tucked away Damien Duff's cross despite there being calls for offside.
The goal stood but it wasn't long before Sunderland roared back into the lead thanks to Carlos Cuellar's header from a Seb Larsson corner three minutes later before Stephane Sessegnon added a third for the visitors with just over 20 minutes remaining.
The Benin international returned to scoring form with a stellar effort from 25 yards which Mark Schwarzer struggled to keep out.
Fulham were a much better side than the scoreline showed as they had 20 shots on goal, with seven on target, but Black Cats keeper Simon Mignolet was up to the task with a handful of vital saves.
Jol would be disappointed with the result of his Fulham team, who usually get the job done at home, whilst Martin O'Neill's men gave the Wearside fans the tonic they required with just their second victory of the campaign.
The win allows Sunderland to move up to 15th, three points clear of the drop zone, as Fulham remain ninth after their fourth defeat of the season.
Fulham: 1 (Mladen Petric 62') Sunderland: 3 (Steven Fletcher 50', Carlos Cuellar 65', Stephane Sessegnon 70')
Craven Cottage, London - 25,646
Yellow cards:FUL - Steve Sidwell 53' SUN - Adam Johnson 59', John O'Shea 74', Lee Cattermole 87' Red card:FUL - Brede Hangeland 31'
