West Ham turned on the style as goals from Jermain Defoe and substitute Frederic Kanoute lifted them out of the bottom three of the Barclaycard Premiership for the first time since November.

If Bolton get at least a point at home to Tottenham on Monday the it will be only a temporary reprieve, but on this form the Hammers will believe they can still pull off a great escape.

Glenn Roeder's men may only have been facing Sunderland - who surely cannot avoid relegation after this defeat kept them rooted to the foot of the table - but they played with such desire that they thoroughly deserved their third win in four games, and their third successive clean sheet.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was at Upton Park to witness this game, and the outstanding form of Defoe, skipper Joe Cole and Michael Carrick must have given the Swede plenty to think about as he ponders naming his squad tomorrow for the back-to-back Euro 2004 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Turkey.

A run of two wins and a draw had given the Hammers an air of confidence, and that was displayed with a slick passing move down the left which almost produced a goal for Les Ferdinand after six minutes.

Defoe released Trevor Sinclair, whose cross fell for Steve Lomas at the back of the six-yard box. The Northern Ireland international hooked the ball back across the face of goal and Thomas Sorensen had to make an important save at the feet of Ferdinand.

Sinclair - who has faded somewhat since playing for England at last year's World Cup, did well again after 12 minutes as he won the ball on the left and crossed for Ferdinand. But Sorensen punched clear.

After being pinned inside their own half for the first 20 minutes, Sunderland made a dangerous break down the left after 21 minutes.

Kevin Phillips raced down the flank before cutting inside and crossing the ball into the box for Tore Andre Flo. The big striker beat Rufus Brevett in the air but directed his header the wrong side of the crossbar.

Roeder has praised highly the contribution of Ferdinand since his arrival from neighbours Tottenham during the transfer window, and in particular the effect it has had on Defoe - and it was those two strikers who combined to open the scoring.

Glen Johnson sent in a looping cross from the right and Ferdinand beat two defenders on the edge of the box to win the header and nod the ball down for Defoe. The teenager had his back to goal, but turned superbly and hooked the ball into the roof of the net for his his seventh goal in the Premiership this season.

Roeder made a switch at half time by replacing Ferdinand with Kanoute to give the Sunderland defenders a different type of physical challenge.

There was an great display of honesty from Defoe after 61 minutes. He jinked his way past two defenders and the goalkeeper, and three times he might have taken a dive. But he stayed on his feet as he reached the byline, and the big disappointment was that Kanoute was not following up as he pulled the ball across the face of an empty goal.

It was exciting stuff and two minutes later Kanoute hustled and bustled his way through before poking the ball wide to Cole. The captain chipped in the cross looking for the big Frenchman, but Sorensen got his fingertips to it to divert the ball away before Kevin Kilbane made a good tackle on Johnson to complete the clearance.

West Ham finally got the second goal they so richly deserved. Carrick won a loose ball in midfield and played a delightful pass for Kanoute to run on to. Despite missing six months of the season through injury and suspension he looked as if he had never been away as he raced to the edge of the box and steered his shot into the bottom far corner for his third of the season.

Sunderland's defence went to pieces and a minute later Kanoute set up Defoe, who looked certain to add to the score. He took the ball past one defender and then the goalkeeper, but his shot was cleared off the line.

From the corner which followed the ball reached Defoe at the far post and his header was brilliantly saved by Sorensen.

It was exhibition football from West Ham, who in truth should never have allowed themselves to be in the bottom three in the first place.

But the ma thing was the three points which takes them above Bolton, who they face in what could be a relegation decider on April 19.

Teams

West Ham James, Johnson, Repka, Pearce, Brevett, Sinclair, Carrick, Lomas (Hutchison 87), Cole (Cisse 84), Les Ferdinand (Kanoute 45), Defoe.

Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Dailly.

Booked: Johnson.

Goals: Defoe 24, Kanoute 65.

Sunderland Sorensen, Williams, El Karkouri, Bjorklund, McCartney (Proctor 64), Butler (Stewart 80), Thornton, Kilbane, Gray, Phillips, Flo (Kyle 57).

Subs Not Used: Poom, Babb.

Att: 35,033

Ref: R Styles (England).