A Penalty from stand-in captain Gavin McCann and a goal in the dying minutes from substitute Daniele Dichio helped Sunderland increase their towering superiority over the rest of the English League Division One.
The win over a frail Crystal Palace, sealed by Dichio sliding the ball home two minutes from time, increased their lead at the top of the table to 10 points.
The only crumb of comfort for Sunderland's prospective rivals is that they took time to settle, as did Palace, in the blustery conditions.
Niall Quinn had the ball in the net after eight minutes when good work by Lee Clark on the left led to a low cross that Palace goalkeeper Kevin Miller fumbled. Quinn's effort was disallowed for offside, however, but it gave the match a much needed boost.
Palace raced straight down to the Sunderland end and an Andy Melville lunge felled Craig Foster to earn the Sunderland defender a booking. The resulting free-kick posed danger to the home defence and proved that both sides had finally woken up.
Both sides regained their composure and Palace began to exert pressure on the Sunderland goal. But the leaders' shakiness was put to an end when veteran defender Andy Linighan brought down Lee Clark after 33 minutes when he was through on goal. McCann, deputising for the suspended Kevin Ball, stepped up to hit his penalty in off Kevin Miller's post.
The second half started brightly but tailed off as both teams sought to wear each other down.
Palace threatened in small doses but it was not until the final 10 minutes that the match came alive once more. Sunderland manager Peter Reid made his inspired substitution with five minutes remaining when Dichio replaced Niall Quinn.
The big striker got on the end of a ball down the left and slid home from a yard inside the box.
SUNDERLAND: Sorensen, Makin, Scott, McCann (Williams 83), Melville, Butler, Rae, Clark, Quinn (Dichio 85), Bridges, Smith (Gray 70). Booked: Melville. Goals: Scott 33 pen, Dichio 88.
CRYSTAL PALACE: Miller, Amsalem (Petric 72), Crowe, Burton, Linighan, Foster, Rodger, Mullins, Bradbury, Morrison, Smith. Subs Not Used: Thomson, Turner. Booked: Smith. Attendance: 33,870.
Referee: M Pike (Barrow-in-Furness).
Niall Quinn yesterday signed a new 3 1/2-year deal at Sunderland that will keep the Republic of Ireland striker on Wearside until the summer of 2002. He has scored nine times in the last 11 games and Peter Reid was anxious to hang on to the 32-year-old Irishman, for whom he paid a then club record fee of £1.3 million to Manchester City in August 1996.
