A Niall Quinn double was just enough to see off Ipswich as Sunderland extended their lead at the top of Division One to 10 points.

The Republic of Ireland hitman struck with a 27th minute header and added a second with a left-foot drive five minutes later to collect his 12th and 13th goals of the season.

But Town skipper Matt Holland gave his side hope with a 38th minute bullet shot which ensured a competitive, but ultimately goalless, second half.

If anything, it was the visitors who started the better on a bitterly cold afternoon on Wearside, with striker David Johnson creating all kinds of problems for Andy Melville and Paul Butler.

Richard Naylor was just wide with a header from Johnson's long throw with just 30 seconds gone, and Naylor again and then Holland both went close as the home defence struggled to settle.

Peter Reid's men had created little of any real value until the game burst into life with 27 minutes gone as Kevin Phillips put fit-again Allan Johnston away down the left.

The winger cut back inside Titus Bramble and picked out Quinn at the far post, and the Irish striker duly obliged with a towering header to put his side ahead.

Quinn doubled his tally five minutes later after Town keeper Richard Wright failed to hold Lee Clark's low cross, but Holland, who had earlier escaped with a booking for a dreadful challenge on Rae, gave Ipswich a lifeline seven minutes before the break with a blistering 20-yard drive which went in off the underside of the bar.

The home side had two penalty appeals turned down by referee Eddie Wolstenholme within a minute, as first Phillips appeared to be caught by Wright, and then Johnston went down under Fabian Wilnis' challenge. Phillips was perhaps more unlucky than his team-mate not to get the verdict.

Rae, who had been booked for a 35th minute tackle on Jamie Clapham, was fortunate not to receive his marching orders three minutes after the restart for a bad challenge on Mark Venus.

But his side should have wrapped up the points with 51 minutes gone when Quinn headed Clark's cross into Phillips' path, only for the deadly striker to pull his shot across the face of goal.

Holland forced a good save from Sunderland's Danish keeper Thomas Sorensen, with a 20-yard effort on 57 minutes, and Wright matched him at the other end as Butler took aim following another good lay-off from Quinn.

Keiron Dyer's pace caught out full-back Michael Gray on 66 minutes, but the midfielder's ball to Johnson was just too strong and Sorensen gratefully intercepted.

The Sunderland keeper was a relieved man 10 minutes from time when Naylor directed his close-range header straight at him after good work by Clapham down the left.

The visitors continued to battle away for an equaliser, but Reid's men held firm to secure all three points.

Teams

Sunderland: Sorensen, Makin, Melville, Butler, Gray, Rae (Bridges 62), Clark, Ball, Johnston, Quinn, Phillips (Dichio 74).

Subs Not Used: Craddock.

Booked: Melville, Rae, Quinn.

Goals: Quinn 26, 32.

Ipswich: Wright, Wilnis, Bramble, Thetis, Venus, Clapham, Dyer, Holland, Magilton, Johnson, Naylor.

Subs Not Used: Logan, Holster, Tanner.

Booked: Bramble, Holland.

Goals: Holland 38.

Att: 39,835

Ref: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn).