Born-again striker Noel Whelan fired 10-man Middlesbrough to a precious derby victory at Sunderland to ease his side out of the Premiership drop zone.

The former Leeds and Coventry frontman collected his fourth goal in as many games with just 14 minutes gone to clinch all three points at the Stadium of Light and complete a double over Peter Reid's side.

But if he claimed the headlines, it was a miserly defensive display, again led by the excellent Gareth Southgate, which brought Boro a second successive victory.

And the fact that the last 38 minutes were played out without the services of Gianluca Festa, who was sent off for seemingly spitting at striker Kevin Phillips, made the result all the more creditable.

Keeper Mark Crossley made one stunning first-half save from American midfielder Claudio Reyna and another late on from Stefan Schwarz, but although his side were under pressure for much of the game, Sunderland struggled to make him work hard enough for his clean sheet.

Reid was left to face another torrent of abuse as his side failed to make the best use of strikers Phillips and Niall Quinn on a night when the club's fading hopes of European qualification took another potentially fatal blow.

The Wearsiders' boss made just one change to the side which drew 1-1 with Fulham last time out as Reyna returned from an ankle knee injury to replace Gavin McCann, who was ruled out with damaged knee ligaments.

And that meant there was no place for latest signing Joachim Bjorklund, whose international clearance following his £1.5million move from Serie A side Venezia did not come through in time.

Opposite number McClaren was able to welcome back skipper Paul Ince from suspension and Phil Stamp and Festa from injury.

But he was without defender Colin Cooper after the tragic death of his two-year-old son at the weekend, and opted to play Festa and Jason Gavin in a three-man defence alongside Southgate, while Carlos Marinelli and former Black Cat Allan Johnston made way in midfield.

McClaren had called on his players to put the mixed emotions of the weekend behind them and produce a professional display, and they did just that before the break.

With the back three standing firm under a determined onslaught, the Teessiders gave real cause for optimism that they could follow up their FA Cup heroics against Manchester United with a positive Premiership result.

They were aided and abetted in that aim to a certain extent by a Sunderland side which showed plenty of adventure and industry, but again insufficient guile and invention to get their proven goalscorers into positions where they could do the damage.

That problem was highlighted in graphic fashion with just 14 minutes gone when Schwarz tamely drove a free-kick in a promising position into Stamp in the defensive wall and the Boro man reacted first to race away and deliver a cross over Michael Gray's head for Whelan to control and slide his shot past the helpless Thomas Sorensen to open the scoring.

The Wearsiders almost hit back within three minutes when Reyna picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and blasted in a low thunderbolt which Crossley did superbly to turn away at full stretch.

But for all the Black Cats were enjoying the greater possession, their efforts to capitalise rather fizzled out before the break to leave Crossley largely untested and the home supporters frustrated yet again.

The home side stepped up a gear after the restart, and they received a boost within seven minutes when, after a bust-up with Phillips, Festa appeared to spit in the striker's face after referee Paul Durkin called them to one side and was shown the red card.

And the England frontman almost took full advantage of his side's numerical advantage two minutes later when he poked a shot past Crossley after finding space in the box but saw Franck Queudrue hack his effort off the line.

But as Boro continued to defend manfully under intense pressure, Sunderland simply could not put Crossley's goal under threat, Bernt Haas hammering a left-foot drive wide and substitute Julio Arca curling a 69th-minute free-kick past the post.

Their side's night was summed up 12 minutes from time when, after Haas had picked out Quinn in space inside the box, he completely miskicked his attempted volley and the ball trickled harmlessly away for a goal kick.

Kilbane headed over from an 86th-minute Arca corner and Crossley just managed to cling on to a late Schwarz piledriver, but both Quinn and Phillips passed up good opportunities in the dying seconds as the chorus of boos grew in intensity.

Teams

Sunderland: Sorensen, Gray, Haas (Bellion 81), Craddock, Varga, Kilbane, Schwarz, Reyna, McAteer (Arca 69), Quinn, Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Macho, Williams, McCartney.

Middlesbrough: Crossley, Queudrue, Southgate, Gavin, Festa, Stockdale, Greening, Ince, Stamp (Mustoe 72), Windass (Gordon 55), Whelan (Campbell 82).

Subs Not Used: Beresford, Marinelli.

Sent Off: Festa (52).

Booked: Greening, Whelan.

Goals: Whelan 14.

Att: 44,579

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).