Kevin Phillips produced a flash of pure genius to end Sunderland's barren run in spectacular style.

The England striker curled home a brilliant 77th-minute winner - his 26th goal of the season - to clinch victory for the first time in 12 Premiership games on an afternoon when his side were second best for long periods.

Nicky Summerbee had fired the Wearsiders into a seventh-minute lead, but after Nick Barmby equalised with a superb strike before the break, it was the visitors who looked the more likely winners.

Sunderland manager Peter Reid will hope that the win will help to rebuild the fragile confidence of his players after a desperate run which has left them struggling for form.

Everton's unsettled midfielder Don Hutchison, for whom Sunderland boss Reid tabled a £1million bid earlier this week, returned to the squad after clear-the-air talks with manager Walter Smith.

But he was only included among the substitutes as the visitors made one change to the side beaten at home for the first time in 16 league games by Newcastle last Sunday.

Defender David Weir made way for Richard Dunne as Mark Hughes and Joe-Max Moore were again handed the task of leading the attack.

Reid kept faith with the bulk of the side which drew 1-1 at home to derby rivals Middlesbrough last weekend with Summerbee replacing Paul Thirlwell in midfield.

The home side started in determined mood with Niall Quinn causing havoc among Everton's three-man defence as Richard Gough, Abel Xavier and David Unsworth struggled to contain him in the air.

Paul Gerrard had already beaten away an Alex Rae drive after Quinn had played him in when he found himself picking the ball out of the net with just seven minutes gone.

Gough's foul on Phillips gave Summerbee a chance to pick his spot, and his low free-kick travelled through the defensive wall and past Gerrard to raise hopes of a first victory in more than three months.

Sunderland were looking menacing when going forward, but with John Collins and Stephen Hughes started to warm to their task in the middle of the field, they looked uncomfortable when not in possession.

However, it took a fine save from Gerrard as Phillips ran on to a 24th-minute Quinn knock-down to keep his side in the game.

Rae hammered a 31st-minute shot just wide with the home side looking to increase their advantage, but they almost surrendered their lead 10 minutes before the break when Darren Williams slipped to allow Moore in on goal, although the American shot high over.

But Everton levelled seven minutes before the break when Quinn headed out Mark Pembridge's long throw to Stephen Hughes, who laid the ball off to Barmby to thump a fierce shot past Thomas Sorensen's despairing dive and into the far corner.

Sunderland paraded new £1.6million signing Milton Nunez at the break, but the Honduran international must have wondered what he had let himself in for as his new team-mates seemed to lose the plot after the restart.

Short on ideas and wasteful in possession, their confidence visibly started to drain away, and it was the men from the north-west who looked the more likely to make the breakthrough.

Having said that, Reid's side should have restored their lead on 54 minutes when Kevin Kilbane's ball over the top put Rae in on goal, but he shot high over with just Gerrard to beat.

From then on, it was Everton who looked the more threatening, and Mark Hughes was guilty of a bad miss when he volleyed over from close range after being set up by Collins 10 minutes later.

The boos were ringing around the Stadium of Light when Steve Bould came off the bench to replace Schwarz 15 minutes from time, but the jeers turned to cheers within two minutes.

Phillips received the ball wide on the left and with few options open to him, decided to go for the top corner, a feat he accomplished with breathtaking style.

The striker shot into the side-netting eight minutes from time after being played in by Rae, but even the belated arrival of Hutchison a minute later could not inspire an Everton comeback.

Teams:

Sunderland: Sorensen, Holloway, Craddock, Williams, Makin, Summerbee, Rae, Schwarz (Bould 74), Kilbane, Quinn, Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Marriott, Roy, Thirlwell, Dichio.

Booked: Schwarz.

Goals: Summerbee 7, Phillips 77.

Everton: Gerrard, Dunne, Gough, Unsworth, Xavier, Collins, Barmby, S. Hughes, Pembridge, Moore (Hutchison 82), M. Hughes (Cadamarteri 82).

Subs Not Used: Ball, Gemmill, Simonsen.

Goals: Barmby 38.

Att: 41,934

Ref: S Bennett (Orpington).