Sunderland moved to within a point of the play-off places as goals from Ross Stewart and Amad saw them beat ten-man Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats should have been out of sight by half-time as they created a series of chances against the Teessiders, but they just could not find a finish.
But all that changed at the start of the second half when Boro defender Dael Fry brought down Stewart as the pair chased a through ball, and the referee awarded a penalty and sent Fry off for a professional foul. Stewart's penalty was saved, but he tapped in the rebound for his 11th goal of the season.
And on-loan Manchester United forward Amad added the second goal ten minutes from time to give his side breathing space. Sunderland's win ended Boro's four-game Championship winning streak, and it lifted Tony Mowbray's men to ninth in the table - just a point behind sixth-placed Boro and fifth-placed Norwich.
READ MORE: Sunderland 2-0 Middlesbrough: Highlights and reaction as Black Cats see off ten-man Boro
Mowbray made two defensive changes to the side that started last weekend's home defeat against Swansea City, both of them forced upon him. Danny Batth returned in central defence to replace Luke O'Nien, who was starting a three-game suspension following his red card against the Swans.
And Aji Alese made his first appearance since suffering an ankle issue before Christmas, and he took the place of Lynden Gooch at left-back with the latter dropping out through injury. Boro boss Michael Carrick made one change, with Darragh Lenihan returning from a foot injury and to replace ex-Sunderland man Paddy McNair.
Sunderland made a bright start but suffered an early injury blow when skipper Corry Evans limped out of the action after only ten minutes, having tried and failed to run off a knock he suffered in a challenge inside the first five minutes. Lenihan brought a routine save out of Anthony Patterson, but Sunderland were the dominant side in the first half.
Amad missed a big chance when he collected Boro keeper Zak Steffen's weak clearance and raced into the penalty area on the left, but he sent his low shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
A few minutes later, Amad cut into the box from the left but this time he was challenged before he could get a shot away. Midway through the half, Amad teed up Patrick Roberts inside the box but the former Manchester City man did not make a good contact which allowed Steffen to save, although he spilled it at the feet of Stewart who rifled the loose ball into the roof of the net but the offside flag came to Boro's rescue, and replays showed the decision was correct.
Boro's best chance of the half came ten minutes before the break, when Marcus Forss hit a low shot from the edge of the bow which Patterson did well to get down to and turn around the post. But Sunderland continued to press for the opener and should have gone in front when Roberts whipped in a cross from the right and Stewart got in front of Dael Fry, but could only send his effort over the bar from six yards out.
And there was another big chance for Stewart four minutes into injury time at the end of the first period when Patterson's long clearance was misjudged by Fry, leaving the Scot with a clear sight of goal but the bounce of the ball was awkward and, as another defender raced back to put pressure on him, he hit a shot from the edge of the box which Steffen did well to push to safety. The second half began where the first had left off, but Sunderland finally made the breakthrough five minutes after the restart.
Stewart chased a through ball and got the wrong side of last man Fry who brought him down just inside the penalty area, with referee James Linington immediately pointing to the spot and then showing the Boro defender a red card for a professional foul. Stewart took the penalty but his kick was saved by Steffen diving low to his left, but the loose ball came back to Stewart and he tapped home from close range.
Stewart could have had a second goal almost immediately but Stewart sent a shot over the bar from a difficult angle. At the other end, Patterson made an important save from Lenihan and when the ball was recylcled to Forss, he dragged his shot wide of the right-hand post from a tight angle.
Only a brilliant block from Tommy Smith prevented Jack Clarke doubling the Black Cats' lead on the hour, after neat build-up play ended with a low cross which Clarke had sidefooted towards goal. Boro pushed forward in search of an equaliser and for a time the game became scrappy.
But Sunderland made sure of the points in the 81st minute as Roberts played the ball into the path of Amad inside the box on the right, and he took a couple of touches before cracking his shot past Steffen.
How they lined up
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth, Alese (Wright 70), Evans (Michut 11), Neil, Roberts (Ba 82), Amad, Clarke (Bennette 81), Stewart. Subs not used: Bass, Dajaku, Taylor
Middlesbrough: Steffen, Smith, Fry, Lenihan, Giles, Howson, Hackney, Forss (Archer 65), Akpom, McGree (Watmore 83), Crooks (McNair 51). Subs not used: Roberts, Jones, Hoppe, Bola
Sent off: Fry
Booked: Smith, Forss
Referee: James Linington (Newport)
Attendance: 42,594
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