*Richard Dunne’s first-half own-goal proved the difference as Sunderland ended their winless run by hanging on for victory over Aston Villa.*

Villa’s Stewart Downing hit a post early on but Dunne volleyed past Brad Friedel to gift Sunderland the lead.

Danny Welbeck and Ahmed Elmohamady came close to making it two before Villa dominated the second half.

Ashley Young, Marc Albrighton, Emile Heskey and Dunne had chances but the hosts held on for a first win in six.

The result sees Sunderland move up to seventh on 12 points and Aston Villa drop to ninth, a point behind.

Steve Bruce’s Black Cats were bidding to avoid equalling a club record of six successive draws and they could not have worked harder to achieve their aim.

Neither side approached the match in particularly good form - Sunderland lacking a win since 29 August, Villa with defeats in four of their previous five away games and both arriving off the back of goalless draws last time out.

But there was no shortage of attacking intent in the early stages of this one and Steed Malbranque headed wide from Jordan Henderson’s cross before Downing drilled against a post after latching on to Young’s slide-rule pass.

Villa, unbeaten at the Stadium of Light since 2002, were looking dangerous on the counter-attack and Nigel Reo-Coker felt he deserved a penalty after falling under the challenge of Titus Bramble and Lee Cattermole when put through by Heskey.

Sunderland were then grateful to right-back Nedum Onuoha, who slid in to deny Stephen Ireland following a strong run and cross from the right by the fit-again Heskey.

Villa’s failure to capitalise on their marginal superiority seemed to help the hosts grow in confidence and Darren Bent almost connected with another Henderson centre before the breakthrough arrived.

Malbranque got the better of Stiliyan Petrov on the right and gleefully looked on as Dunne accidentally volleyed his right-wing cross past Brad Friedel at the near post.

The momentum was now firmly in Sunderland’s hands and Friedel showed impressive reflexes to repel Welbeck’s first-time shot, while Elmohamady might have done better with a header from Phil Bardsley’s inviting ball into the box.

Only one Sunderland player other than Bent has scored for them this season and his team-mates were working hard to redress the balance; Elmohamady again going close with a fierce drive across goal that sailed narrowly wide.

Villa’s hopes were not helped by a knee injury to Petrov - the captain had to be replaced by Steve Sidwell - but they made a positive start to the second half and Young was set up by Downing, only for Cattermole’s challenge to remove some sting from the shot.

Young was squeezed out by a combination of Onuoha and Sunderland keeper Simon Mignolet, while Villa wasted a glorious opening when Heskey missed Downing’s low cross and Young’s follow up fizzed wide.

By now the visitors were encamped in their opponents’ half and Steve Sidewell’s header was cleared off the line by Henderson before fellow substitute Albrighton had a shot parried by Mignolet.

The home crowd were becoming agitated at their team’s inability to cross the halfway line and Dunne almost atoned for his earlier error, but his fierce goalbound effort deflected wide.

Villa were committing increasing numbers to every attack in an effort to snatch a late equaliser and Sunderland might have profited, but Bent was denied by Dunne’s superb challenge when clean through and substitute Asamoah Gyan screwed a shot wide at the death.

*Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier:*

“I am very disappointed with the result. We should, as a reward at least, have got one goal and probably got a draw.

“I thought we started well. Our morale probably went down when we conceded that own goal because we had a bit of a slump, but the second half was night and day with the first half.

“We were quicker, better, sharper and created chance after chance, but unfortunately we didn’t manage to put the ball in the back of the net and this is my only regret because I was pleased with the effort of the players and their reaction.”