Sunderland ended their three-game losing streak with a convincing win against struggling Norwich City at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats had already hit the post through Jack Clarke when Norwich took the lead against the run of play midway through the first period with a controversial goal from Ui-Jo Hwang which Sunderland were convinced should have been ruled out for an offside in the build-up.

But a deflected strike from Trai Hume levelled things up ten minutes before the break, and Dan Neil completed the turnaround just as the first period was about to enter added time. In the second half, more chances came and went for Sunderland and Norwich hit the post through Christan Fassnacht, before Clarke won and converted a penalty ten minutes from time to make sure all three points stayed on Wearside.

The win lifted Sunderland three places to seventh in the table, while Norwich have now won just one of their last eight games and dropped three places to 17th. Tony Mowbray made one change to the side that started the midweek defeat at Leicester City, with Ukrainian striker Nazariy Rusyn making his first start as on-loan Chelsea man Mason Burstow made way.

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Norwich boss David Wagner made four changes, in case to the side that lost at home to Middlesbrough on Tuesday night. In came Kellen Fisher, Fassnacht, Adam Forshaw, and Hwang, in place of Jack Stacey, Adam Idah, Onel Hernandez, and Marcelino Nunez, all of whom dropped to the bench.

Sunderland were on the front foot right from the start and good work from Clarke set up a shooting chance for Jobe Bellingham, but his effort from the edge of the box was blocked. Midway through the half, Clarke was inches away from giving Sunderland the lead when he picked up the ball inside the box on the left and worked space for a shot which took the slightest of deflections off a defender which sent it onto the outside of the right-hand post and behind for a corner.

Then there was controversy as Norwich went in front in the 23rd minute from what was their first serious attack. The Black Cats felt Gabriel Sara was offside and interfering with play out on the right but the flag did not go up, allowing Fisher to run forward from an onside position and he beat Pierre Ekwah to get to the byline before cutting the ball back into the path of Hwang, who produced a crisp, low, finish.

Sunderland complained to referee Anthony Backhouse but to no avail, with Ekwah picking up a booking for his protestations. Clarke and Neil both took long-range pot-shots as Sunderland looked to get back on terms.

And the Black Cats did level in the 37th minute, when Patrick Roberts caused Norwich problems on the right-hand corner of the box and then played the ball into the path of Hume, whose shot took a touch off Shane Duffy which left keeper George Long no chance. The Wearsiders then went in front on 45 minutes, as Clarke cut in from the left and picked out the unmarked Neil inside the box near the penalty spot and he had time to control the ball and stab his shot beyond Long into the bottom right-hand corner.

Niall Huggins could have extended Sunderland's lead early in the second half, but his shot from a tight angle inside the box on the left was touched over by Long. Norwich almost grabbed an equaliser just before the hour when Dimitrius Giannoulis raced away down the left and crossed for Fassnacht, but his header was kept out by a combination of Anthony Patterson and the right-hand post.

Ekwah saw a shot from outside the area pushed behind for a corner by Long diving at full stretch to his left. But Sunderland finally got the two-goal cushion they craved after Clarke converted from the spot.

He had nicked the ball off Duffy outside the left-hand corner of the box and then taken it into the area, and as he shaped to shoot he was tripped by Kenny McLean with the referee immediately pointing to the spot. Clarke stepped up to send his kick to the right of centre, with Long diving the wrong way.

Sunderland almost added a fourth goal in the dying minutes three of their substitutes combined. Chris Rigg won the ball and when it came to Alex Pritchard, his low shot was kept out by Long with his foot, and it popped up for Luis Hemir who headed goalwards only to see a defender block his effort.

How they lined up

Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, O'Nien, Ballard, Huggins (Cirkin 77), Neil, Ekwah (Rigg 77), Roberts (Ba 71), Bellingham (Pritchard 71), Clarke, Rusyn (Hemir 71). Subs not used: Bishop, Seelt, Dack, Burstow

Booked: Ekwah, O'Nien, Pritchard, Hemir

Norwich City: Long, Fisher (Stacey 74), Gibson (Idah 74), Duffy, Giannoulis, Fassnacht (Hernandez 61), McLean, Forshaw (Nunez 46), Sara, Rowe (Sainz 62), Hwang. Subs not used: Ansen, Gibbs, Placheta, Batth

Booked: Fassnacht, Giannoulis, McLeane, Sainz

Referee: Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria)

Attendance: 39,871