And despite losing Lorik Cana, Lee Cattermole and Kenwyne Jones for this Saturday's trip to White Hart Lane, they travel to the capital in buoyant mood on the back of a second-half display which defined fighting spirit.

Reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time and already trailing 2-1, Sunderland, inspired by Andy Reid's artistry and Lorik Cana's controlled fury, somehow ran the legs off West Ham.

The status quo was broken in the 29th minute by a goal from nothing. And centre-half Nyron Nosworthy, making his first Premier League start since August, was at fault.

He played West Ham onside as Behrami's pass found Collison and his pull back saw Franco squeeze a low shot across Gordon from four yards out.

West Ham's second arrived soon after in the 35th minute. Collinson swept past Malbranque and fed Cole, who brushed off Nosworthy too easily to fire past Gordon.

Two down at that stage looked as though it might be game over, but Sunderland found an immediate lifeline in the 37th minute when Radoslav Kovac brought down Malbranque 20 yards from goal and was booked as a result.

Andy Reid stepped up and curled an absolutely exquisite shot over the wall into the top left-hand corner of Green's goal with the keeper barely moving a muscle.

The game changed dramatically in time added on at the end of the first half when Jones was sent off for shoving Herita Ilunga to the ground.

Ilunga's fouling on the half-way line was cynical, but Jones' reaction meant he would always risk a sending off – something which was guaranteed once the Congolese defender went down clutching his face in an embarrassment of over-reaction.

There was further controversy in time added on when Henderson fired in a shot which appeared to be handled in the area, but the referee offered only a corner and the officials were roundly booed off at the break with Sunderland facing what looked like an all but impossible task.

Those fears were almost confirmed within seconds of the resumption when Franco's great near post header was stopped by an instinctive reaction save.

That was the signal though for Sunderland to up their game and they were unlucky not to score.

Firstly Bent was played in by Malbranque, and drove a shot across goal which Green did well to parry out for a corner, and from the ball in from the left, driven in by Reid, Michael Turner produced a great header, which Green palmed away spectacularly moving to his right.

A third great chance was created in the 51st minute when Malbranque again fed Bent down the right channel, and the striker did all the hard work, cutting inside his marker, but blasted wide of the target.

Cana might have capped an all-action performance in the 64th minute with a goal from a Reid corner – the skipper heading against the crossbar, while Da Silva's follow-up header was pushed on to the bar and away by Green.

Quarter of an hour from the end, Sunderland finally got their reward with a goal which raised the roof.

Reid chipped the ball down the right-hand channel where Bent took possession and made ground to the byline.

The striker's cross hit Matthew Upson and looped over Green at the near post, the ball dropping to Richardson, who timed his run perfectly and took the ball and himself, into the net.

The Hammers hit back and Zavon Hines missed two good chances, while Cole should have scored, only to be denied by a brilliantly-timed tackle by Nosworthy.

In the 86th minute, both sides were reduced to 10 men when Kovacs lashed at the ball but only caught Bent, and received his second yellow of the game.

All in all, as exciting an advert for Premier League football as you could wish to see and confirmation that there's more to this Sunderland team than might meet the eye.