Sunderland 2-0 Preston North End: First home win for Black Cats boss Michael Beale
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Nazariy Rusyn pokes home his first Sunderland goal from Jack Clarke's low cross to make it 2-0 just before the break
Nazariy Rusyn scored his first Sunderland goal as they returned to the top six of the Championship with a comfortable home victory over Preston.
The influential Alex Pritchard returned to the side and gave the hosts an early lead with his first goal of the season - a superb swerving strike from distance.
After six games on the bench, Ukrainian striker Rusyn was also recalled to the starting line-up and netted just before the break to ensure boss Michael Beale's first home win in charge of the Black Cats.
After a fourth defeat in five, Preston dropped into the bottom half while Hull missed the chance to overhaul Sunderland after losing at Sheffield Wednesday in the 17:15 GMT kick-off.
Beale made three changes after the 1-1 draw at Rotherham on Friday, with Aji Alese joining Rusyn and Pritchard in the side, Jenson Seelt and Adil Aouchiche dropping to the bench and Patrick Roberts out because of injury.
North End boss Ryan Lowe also made three changes following their 1-0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday, as Jordan Storey, Mads Frokjaer and Ched Evans came in for Milutin Osmajic, Jack Whatmough and Duane Holmes.
The start to the first match of 2024 was as bright as the fireworks around the country just over 12 hours earlier as Jack Clarke curled narrowly past the far post inside two minutes, and home keeper Anthony Patterson produced a flying save to deny Ben Whiteman's snap-shot at the other end.
Sunderland's Pierre Ekwah slashed wide from the edge of the box but the deadlock was broken after 10 minutes when Pritchard found space to smash in a swerving 25-yard blockbuster, his first goal since netting at Deepdale on the final day of last season and Sunderland's first at home against Preston since 2004.
Clarke saw a curler saved by Preston keeper Freddie Woodman, who also blocked another effort from Pritchard, while Frokjaer fizzed a shot over the Sunderland bar just before the half hour.
Pritchard sliced an angled drive past the upright but the crucial second arrived just before the break when Clarke broke from his own half, rode a heavy challenge and made the most of a good advantage from the referee to burst down the left and cross low for Rusyn to dart across the defender and poke home his first Black Cats goal on his 10th appearance.
Brad Potts saw a half-volley charged down by Alese, making his first appearance of the season after a thigh injury, after the break and Patterson saved Ali McCann's low effort down the middle soon after as Preston sought a reply.
After a second period short on chances, Potts blazed over from an angle in the closing stages as Preston went goalless for the second successive match.
Sunderland manager Michael Beale:
"The story of the game is a number nine scores for Sunderland. He earned his goal and it has been difficult for him.
"His wife and children aren't here. That must be hard for him, with everything going on back home at this time of the year. He's been here six months and he's on to his third coach, I am delighted for him.
"The most important thing was to get a home win against a Preston team fighting with us around the same position.
"This was a game more even and we took our chances. I'm delighted with our return from four games."
Preston boss Ryan Lowe:
"We can't give that much space and let a goal go in from 25 yards out for the first one. We have to get out to the ball.
"Then the second one before half-time…we spoke about Jack Clarke all week. We had to lock that out because he was the danger. He puts the ball across the box and it is 2-0 at half-time and it is game over.
"Seven days ago we were beating Leeds - we need to find a way to get back to what we were doing at the start of the season.
"I can't criticise the players. We need to find solutions over the next two weeks, the next worry is to pick points up as quickly as we can. We know it's not good enough."