Ellis Taylor's first-half double saw Sunderland U23s beat Birmingham City U23 to end their ten-game winless streak in Premier League 2. Taylor gave the Black Cats the lead at Eppleton from the penalty spot ten minutes from half-time after sub Nicky Gyimah had been fouled.
And five minutes later the 19-year-old scored with a stunning long-range strike to put Sunderland firmly in the driving seat. But Josh Williams pulled a goal back for the visitors just after the break, and Sunderland had to weather heavy pressure from Birmingham throughout the second half to see out the win.
The victory was Sunderland's first in the league since January, and lifted Mike Dodds and Michael Proctor's side to third-bottom of the table, with one game to play. Goalkeeper Lee Burge played his first game since recovering from a heart issue, but he was the only senior player involved.
