Sunderland maintained their outside hope of automatic promotion from the Championship as Chris Mepham's goal gave them a 2-1 win over struggling Cardiff City at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland raced into an early second minute lead thanks to Eliezer Mayenda who finished firmly after working space in the Cardiff penalty area.
The Bluebirds levelled against the run of play on 41 minutes as Isaak Davies - making his first start of the season – finished from a tight angle as Sunderland appealed for a foul on goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
Both sides had chances to win the match in a more even second half with Yousef Salech rattling the post before Mepham fired home his first Sunderland goal on 77 minutes from close-range after a free-kick routine caught Cardiff cold.
Victory sees Sunderland remain eight points off the automatic promotion spots in fourth, while Cardiff are one place and four points above the Championship drop zone.
Sunderland secured a third successive league win against Cardiff for the first time in 103 years as they secured a valuable three points as they bid to stay in touch with Leeds, Sheffield United and Burnley at the top of the Championship.
The Black Cats came into this contest as well rested as a Championship side is ever going to be in March, having not played for eight days and with manager Regis Le Bris afforded the luxury of naming an unchanged XI from the 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday last time out.
Cardiff boss Omer Riza made three changes from the side beaten 2-1 at home by Burnley in midweek, with Davies finally able to make his return from long-term injury.
The Bluebirds have been dismal on the road for months, having won just one of their past 19 away Championship matches and they made the long journey north without a win away from home in 2025.
Cardiff could not contain Sunderland from the first moments of the game and it was the red-hot Mayenda who opened the scoring inside two minutes as he worked the ball into space in the penalty area before lashing home assuredly with a precise left-footed finish from Patrick Roberts' pass.
Mayenda scored both the goals in Sunderland's win at Hillsborough and he pulled Cardiff all over the pitch along with his fellow tormentor, Romaine Mundle, though Roberts was forced off by injury.
The hosts were nevertheless in control and saw Trai Hume and Alan Browne fire wide while Mundle and Jobe Bellingham saw efforts blocked as Cardiff were forced to defend deep and in numbers.
Cardiff did come close on 29 minutes when Dan Neil conceded possession, but Callum Robinson fired wide with Anthony Patterson beaten if the effort was on target.
The leveller did arrived on 41 minutes as Davies finished from a narrow angle after Patterson failed to claim a cross with Sunderland's appeals for a free-kick waved away.
Sunderland might still have led at the break, but Mundle's shot was saved by Ethan Horvath and Mayenda hit the side-netting after being sent clear by Bellingham and rounding the goalkeeper.
It was Cardiff who had the first big chance of the second half and the Bluebirds were unlucky not to lead as Yousef Salech's volley cannoned back out off the inside of the post with Patterson doing brilliantly to get a vital touch on the ball.
At the other end Horvath saved from Chris Rigg's header but the hosts lacked the cohesion and tempo they exhibited in the early stages of the contest.
However, Sunderland did find a moment of quality when they really needed it as Wilson Isidor pealed away into space as Cardiff anticipated a free-kick being lofted into their box and Isidor's cross was turned home by Mepham from close-range on 77 minutes as the Wales international picked the perfect moment to score his first Black Cats goal.
Sunderland: Patterson, Hjelde (Cirkin 56’), O’Nien, Mepham, Hume, Bellingham, Neil, Browne (Isidor 56’), Mundle (Watson 72’), Mayenda, Roberts (Rigg 24’). Subs: Aleksic, Anderson, Jones, Moore, Seelt.
Cardiff City: Horvath, Ng, Goutas, Bagan, O'Dowda, Mannsverk (Ashford 82’), Chambers (Robertson 72’), Colwill, Davies (Aleves 59’), Robinson (Fish 72’), Salech. Subs: Turner, Lawlor, Giles, Mafico, Willock.
