Sunderland 3-1 Plymouth Argyle: Black Cats up into top six with victory

Jobe Bellingham came off the bench to score a sensational third for Sunderland

Sunderland came from behind to beat Plymouth Argyle and move back into the Championship play-off places with a resounding win at the Stadium of Light.

Having shown similar resolve to draw last weekend's derby at Middlesbrough, Michael Beale's Black Cats turned the game round after Ryan Hardie broke the offside trap, rounded Anthony Patterson and clipped the ball coolly into the net to put Argyle ahead.

Pierre Ekwah levelled for Sunderland after half-time with a thunderous low drive after he was teed up by Patrick Roberts, and Argyle went behind seven minutes later when Jack Clarke took a sweeping Trai Hume pass on the left, wriggled in and fired in off the post beyond Conor Hazard.

Jobe Bellingham was introduced for Sunderland off the bench and made a near-instant impact with the third, crashing another fierce effort in off a post to leave Hazard stranded.

It was a strike which seemed to quell Plymouth's response, as Ian Foster's side lost for the first time in the Championship since late December.

Amid the disaffection within parts of the Sunderland support with boss Beale following his arrival to replace Tony Mowbray, the Wearsiders remain key participants in the promotion challenge.

They lost 2-0 at Home Park back in November, where profligacy cost them after 24 shots with no reward, but there was a far more clinical edge here.

Dan Neil was key in midfield to making things tick, and with Clarke, ever a menace, and Roberts' return adding more balance to the attack, they could well match last season's surge to the play-offs.

Foster has steadied the ship since taking over after Steven Schumacher move to Stoke City but, after recording their first away win of the season at Swansea last weekend, their travel sickness returned here.

That said, Argyle had a sapping mid-week FA Cup tie with Leeds that saw them bow out in extra-time, and this was their first defeat under the Liverpudlian in the Championship - although they are now just seven points off the relegation zone.

Sunderland head coach Michael Beale told BBC Radio Newcastle:

"We had some honest words at half-time and I thought from the moment the second half started, I thought we were much better.

"All four goals were good but I'm delighted with our three - we're mixing around our goalscorers and that's the second home game we've scored three goals - that's a huge positive for us.

"It's incredible how we can be in the first half and then how good we were in the second - but that's what it's like managing a young team at times. It's an important win when you look where it's taken us in the table."

Plymouth boss Ian Foster told BBC Radio Devon:

"We congratulate them on a wonderful second-half performance. We have to take our medicine and learn from our mistakes we made in the second half.

"In terms of the first half we were almost faultless but we've got to continue that in the second 45 minutes.

"The 120 minutes on Tuesday [in the FA Cup] took its toll on the group but we were desperate to get through so we won't use that as an excuse.

"We've got a long journey back and we'll have a two-day lead in for the next game [against Coventry City on Wednesday] and then Leeds, West Brom and Middlesbrough but the staff and the players deserve those sorts of games and we'll try to get something out of them."