Jobe Bellingham scored against the club where he started his career to set Sunderland on their way to victory against Birmingham City. The teenager swapped the Midlands for Wearside in the summer and and took less than 20 minutes to make his mark against his former employers at the Stadium of Light, and then hit the woodwork soon after as Sunderland - who had already hit the frame of the goal through Nazariy Rusyn - threatened to run away with the game.

But they let Birmingham back into the match as Koji Miyoshi levelled before half-time, but then in the second period an own-goal from one-time Sunderland loanee Dion Sanderson restored their lead just before the hour, and then sub Adil Aouchiche wrapped things up with a quarter-of-an-hour to go with his first goal for the club. That made it back-to-back home wins for Tony Mowbray's men, and they go into the international break having picked up seven points from their last three outings in response to a run of three successive defeats.

Mowbray was forced into two changes, with centre-backs Dan Ballard and Luke O'Nien both suspended after picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season in last weekend's draw at Swansea. Summer signing Jenson Seelt made his first start, while fellow new arrival Nectar Triantis made his first league start. Triantis was included at the last minute when Dennis Cirkin - who had been due to staryreturned to the starting XI for the first time since recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered at the beginning of September.

Birmingham City boss Wayne Rooney named an unchanged side, sticking with the same players who drew 2-2 at home to Ipswich Town last weekend. Sunderland were all over Birmingham in the early stages and should have had the game won inside 25 minutes.

Good work from Patrick Roberts on the right ended with Jack Clarke teeing-up Niall Huggins eight yards out but he mis-kicked, and that meant Sanderson was able to clear off the line for a corner, and from that set-piece Dan Neil volleyed narrowly wide from the edge of the box. On 11 minutes, Roberts again did well and played in Rusyn inside the area on the right and he beat John Ruddy with his shot, only to see the ball come back off the left-hand post.

But Sunderland finally made their pressure count in the 17th minute when Clarke's corner from the left was flicked-on by Rusyn at the near post, and it fell for Bellingham six yards out to fire into the roof of the net. The Black Cats hit the woodwork for a second time midway through the half, with another corner causing chaos in the Birmingham box and when the ball came to Bellingham his shot took a deflection off a defender which meant it looped onto the post and rebounded into keeper John Ruddy's arms.

Sunderland then took their eye off the ball and Birmingham began to create chances, with Huggins needing to be in the right place at the right time to clear off the line from Jay Stansfield. Juninho Bacuna then sent a shot narrowly wide, before the visitors levelled on the half-hour when Pierre Ekwah gave the ball away in midfield and it was eventually threaded through for Stansfield in the right channel and his low ball into the box found Miyoshi unmarked at the near post and he steered his finish past Anthony Patterson.

Clarke almost set up Roberts to restore Sunderland's lead, but Cody Drameh managed to slide the ball behind for a corner in the nick of time. And, back at the other end, Huggins made a crucial block to prevent Oliver Burke putting Birmingham in front after he had been set up by Stansfield.

Sunderland went back in front on 57 minutes when a short corner on the right was worked to Roberts, his deep cross found Trai Hume beyond the far post and he headed back cross goal for Triantis whose effort went in off Sanderson. Clarke was denied by the legs of Ruddy just after the hour, before Sunderland killed the game off 14 minutes from time.

Clarke's fast feet took him past his marker inside the area on the left, his low cross found substitute Aouchiche who touched home from three yards out. Birmingham subs Scott Hogan and Lukas Jutkiewicz had chances to pull a goal back but either missed the target or found Patterson in the way.

And subs Mason Burstoe and Eliezer Mayenda - the latter making his long-awaited debut after recovering from the injury he picked up virtually as soon as he signed in the summer - brought saves out of Ruddy as Sunderland tried to rack up more goals in the closing stages.

How they lined up

Sunderland: Patterson, Huggins, Triantis, Seelt, Hume, Neil, Ekwah, Roberts (Mayenda 73), Bellingham (Aouchiche 73), Clarke (Burstow 88), Rusyn (Ba 61). Subs not used: Bishop, Taylor, Pritchard, Dack, Hemir

Booked: Roberts, Hume

Birmingham City: Ruddy, Laird (Oakley 84), Sanderson, Aiwu, Drameh, James (Dembele 71), Sunjic, Miyoshi (Gardner 84), Burke (Hogan 77), Bacuna, Stansfield (Jutkiewicz 77). Subs not used: Etheridge, Roberts, Longelo, Khela

Booked: Laird, James

Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire)

Attendance: 40,922