Nick Woltemade’s misjudged header proved decisive as Sunderland claimed Wear-Tyne derby bragging rights with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Newcastle.
A bruising first half yielded little in the way of clear chances, but the breakthrough came just 60 seconds after the restart.
Nordi Mukiele whipped in a cross from the right and Woltemade, attempting to clear, could only glance the ball onto the underside of the bar and into his own net.
The result contrasted sharply with the sides’ last meeting in January’s FA Cup, when Newcastle ran out 3-0 winners.
This time, Sunderland extended their impressive league run against their rivals to 10 games without defeat, a win that lifted the Black Cats to seventh while Newcastle slipped to 12th.
Before kick-off, the Stadium of Light observed a minute’s applause in memory of Sunderland cult hero Gary Rowell, who passed away on Saturday after battling leukaemia.
Sunderland made three changes following their loss to Manchester City, handing starts to Reinildo Mandava, Chemsdine Talbi and Brian Brobbey.
Newcastle, fresh from a midweek Champions League draw with Bayer Leverkusen, introduced Anthony Elanga and Lewis Miley.
The hosts started on the front foot, forcing Newcastle into repeated defensive clearances as Mukiele, Enzo Le Fée and Reinildo sent balls into the box. At the other end, Robin Roefs dealt comfortably with a through-ball aimed at Woltemade.
Bertrand Traoré’s inviting delivery was nudged narrowly wide by Malick Thiaw, while Elanga’s hooked effort was easily gathered by Roefs.
As the half wore on, the contest became increasingly physical, with Sunderland standing firm against set-piece pressure from Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon.
Newcastle suffered a setback just before the break when Dan Burn was forced off following a heavy collision, Fabian Schär replacing him. Moments later, Dan Ballard headed over from Granit Xhaka’s cross in what was the clearest opening of the half.
Sunderland struck immediately after the interval, Woltemade’s own goal handing the hosts the lead and igniting a spell of sustained pressure as Newcastle scrambled to deal with a succession of crosses.
Eddie Howe responded with a triple change, sending on Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock. Guimaraes twice tested Roefs from distance, but the goalkeeper stood firm.
Fresh legs for Sunderland followed, with Trai Hume and Wilson Isidor introduced. Isidor nearly made an instant impact, racing onto Omar Alderete’s pass and forcing Aaron Ramsdale into a sharp near-post save.
Late on, Newcastle pushed for an equaliser, but Ballard and Roefs combined to repel the danger. Tempers flared in stoppage time, with several bookings handed out, yet Sunderland held their nerve to seal a memorable derby success and north-east supremacy.
