Sunderland's goalless streak entered its ninth hour as Manchester City heaped more misery on Howard Wilkinson at the Stadium of Light.

Marc-Vivien Foe, Sun Jihai and Shaun Goater grabbed the goals which consolidated the visitors' rise into mid-table on a freezing night and left the awful Black Cats facing a bleak Premiership future.

A night which began with Jody Craddock injuring his ankle in the pre-match warm-up got progressively worse for Wilkinson's men, who last scored six games ago against Tottenham.

And the clear sight of ailing hero Kevin Phillips showing obvious displeasure upon being substituted in the 65th minute only served to add to the home fans' despondency.

City soaked up early Sunderland pressure and went ahead one minute before half-time when Foe latched onto Jihai's long ball, squeezed the ball over onrushing keeper Jurgen Macho and flicked it home despite the close attention of Craddock's replacement Joachim Bjorklund.

And they sealed their win in the 62nd minute when the home defence failed to pick up Nicolas Anelka's charge into the box, leaving Macho to palm his shot half clear and leave City's Chinese international with the simplest of chances.

Goater added insult to injury in the dying seconds by sweeping home the third to round off another dismal night for the home team.

Phillips might have left the scene in anger but he had been as much to blame as anyone for his side's first half plight.

The Sunderland favourite has scored just once this season and he showed why in the eighth minute when he failed to knock home Kevin Kilbane's curling cross from eight yards.

Phillips showed just how much he has lost the form which once carried him into an England place when Kilbane's excellent right-wing cross found him unmarked eight yards from goal in the eighth minute.

George McCartney's forays forward promised much for Sunderland in the early stages but his final ball was lacking and City soon took a grip on the proceedings.

Goater headed Jihai's lofted cross over the bar and Foe had an effort intercepted by Stephen Wright.

Phillips spurned his second chance in the 23rd minute when Paul Thirlwell's left wing cross caused havoc in the City box but Phillips caught the ball under his foot as he attempted to poke home from six yards, and Richard Dunne hacked clear off the line.

Michael Proctor whacked a powerful effort straight at Peter Schmeichel and Kilbane was narrowly wide with a long-range free-kick.

But City came closer still in the 38th minute when Jihai's free-kick was nodded back against his own post by Kilbane and the rebound somehow eluded the lurking Goater.

Foe's opener deepened the gloom at the Stadium of Light and Anelka started the second half looking likely to cause havoc against the home side's flat-footed defenders.

Sunderland chances through McCartney, whose left-wing cross was just too high for Flo, and Proctor, whose right-foot long-range effort squeezed past diving Schmeichel's left-hand post.

Wilkinson responded to City's second with a triple substitution and at least David Bellion injected some life up front, albeit temporarily.

He came agonisingly close in the 71st minute when he brilliantly evaded Dunne before firing a low shot which was well saved by Schmeichel.

City should have gone further ahead in the 84th minute when Dunne cut in from the left and found Anelka who somehow hit the bar from close range.

But Goater did grab their third goal and Sunderland were booed off by the home fans at full-time.

Teams

Sunderland: Macho, McCartney, Wright, Babb, Gray (Stewart 66), Bjorklund, Kilbane, Thirlwell, Proctor, Phillips (Bellion 66), Flo (Kyle 67).

Subs Not Used: Poom, Williams.

Man City: Schmeichel, Dunne, Jihai, Distin, Howey, Tiatto, Horlock, Berkovic, Foe, Anelka, Goater.

Subs Not Used: Nash, Benarbia, Huckerby, Wiekens, Jensen.

Booked: Tiatto, Jihai.

Goals: Foe 44, Jihai 62, Goater 87.

Att: 36,511

Ref: S Dunn (Avon).