Middlesbrough eased their relegation fears by gaining revenge over Sunderland to nudge them ever closer to the Barclays Premiership trapdoor.

The Black Cats were simply outclassed by their local rivals - one of only two sides they have beaten in the league this season - to leave their long-suffering fans knowing another season in the Coca-Cola Championship is inevitable.

Central defender Emanuel Pogatetz headed the visitors in front with just 13 minutes gone with his first strike for the club, and when full-back Stuart Parnaby drove home his maiden Premiership goal 18 minutes later, the game was effectively over.

Mick McCarthy's men rallied briefly after the break and had either Dean Whitehead or Steve Caldwell taken the chances that came their way, they might have forced their way back into it.

But their lack of finishing power was cruelly punished by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 19 minutes from time when he blasted a shot past the helpless Kelvin Davis.

It was Boro's first league win in 10 attempts and Sunderland's 18th defeat in 23 Premiership games this season, but one of the most depressing for a manager who found himself the target for disgruntled fans among a crowd of 31,675 as they left the Stadium of Light.

The home side were hit with a sucker punch with just 13 minutes gone when Pogatetz, playing as a central defender in the absence of the injured Chris Riggott and Ugo Ehiogu, climbed high above Steve Caldwell and Danny Collins to power a header in off the bar from a long-range Stewart Downing free-kick.

Worse was to follow 14 minutes before the break when Julio Arca, who was struggling to force his way into the game, lost possession down the left for Parnaby to race away.

He played the ball in to Viduka on the edge of the box and continued his run as the Australian laid it off perfectly for him to blast a low drive past Davis.

McCarthy immediately withdrew Collins and threw striker Kevin Kyle into a three-man front line, but their recovery effort was disjointed and they left the pitch at half-time to a loud chorus of boos.

Anthony Le Tallec sent a 47th-minute glancing header across the face of goal as Sunderland rallied immediately after the break, and Lawrence tested keeper Mark Schwarzer for the first time with a curling 52nd-minute effort from distance.

However, their plight might have worsened a minute later when Pogatetz almost got on the end of Viduka's flick-on from a Downing free-kick.

The clear cut chance Sunderland needed arrived on 59 minutes when Liam Lawrence, Jon Stead and Le Tallec combined to set up Whitehead eight yards out.

But as the home fans waited for the net to bulge, the midfielder side-footed his shot over the crossbar to let Boro off the hook.

Caldwell could have got Whitehead off the hook four minutes later when the midfielder's free-kick ricocheted off the defensive wall and dropped to his right foot, but he directed the ball straight at Schwarzer.

The cost of those misses became painfully apparent with 19 minutes remaining when Doriva robbed Tommy Miller in the middle of the park and the ball broke for Mendieta, who needed little time to pick out Hasselbaink to hammer a first-time shot past Davis.

Large sections of the home support started to head for the exits with some hurling their season tickets towards McCarthy as he stood outside the dug-out.

Sunderland Davis, Danny Collins (Kyle 32), Caldwell, Breen,Hoyte, Arca, Miller, Whitehead, Lawrence,Stead (Daryl Murphy 78), Le Tallec.

Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Nosworthy, Bassila.

Booked: Caldwell.

Middlesbrough Schwarzer, Taylor, Southgate, Pogatetz, Parnaby,Downing (Johnson 77), Cattermole, Doriva, Mendieta,Hasselbaink (Yakubu 79), Viduka (Davies 64).

Subs Not Used: Jones, Maccarone.

Booked: Doriva.

Goals: Pogatetz 19, Parnaby 31, Hasselbaink 71.

Att: 31,675

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).