The relief felt by David Moyes was clear. “I’d nearly forgotten what it felt like to smile,” admitted the Sunderland manager after his side recorded their first league win of the season. The Scot’s features may have finally cracked, but it’s safe to assume that for 73 minutes, Moyes’ face was fixed in a familiar scowl.

Having seen his side recover after falling behind to Dan Gosling’s tenth minute opening goal, equalising against the run of play through Victor Anichebe, Moyes’ mood darkened when Steven Pienaar, one of his most experienced players, foolishly collected a second yellow card that appeared certain to condemn the Premier League’s bottom club to another fruitless afternoon.

Yet instead of folding, Moyes’ side regrouped and when Jermain Defoe converted a penalty won by Anichebe, they showed a resolve that has so far been missing from their play to hold on to a first victory in eleven games. If this was an example of how Sunderland respond to adversity, they might not be the nailed on certainties for relegation the y have appeared to be so far this season.

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“We’ve had a few games recently when I don’t think we’ve had a lot going for us,” said Moyes. “We’ve got to keep going. What you do is one win means you’ve got to get two wins. It’s certainly getting closer, I don’t think we’ve been out of games really. We have to hang in and try and get the goals that we can.”

The contribution of Anichebe alongside Defoe justified Moyes’ decision to hand the forward a first Premier League start since he moved to the Stadium of Light as a free agent last summer. An excellent turn and shot brought Sunderland level in the 33rd minute when only the excellence of keeper Jordan Pickford had prevented Bournemouth building on Gosling’s goal, chested in from Adam Smith’s right wing cross.

Dan Gosling celebrates after putting Bournemouth ahead (Getty)

Then midway through the second half, Anichebe again used his strength to get in front of Smith and force the Bournemouth full-back to concede the 73rd minute penalty that Defoe converted convincingly, sending Artur Boruc the wrong way.

“I've always thought Victor has great ability a lot more than people give him credit for,” said Moyes. “He's got a lot going for him, he doesn't always show it but he did today.”

Moyes admitted he had shouted himself hoarse while watching from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban. The volume would have been increased when Pienaar raked his foot down Junior Stanislas’ shin right in front of referee Mike Dean to earn a second yellow card in the 53rd minute.

Victor Anichebe celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Burnley (Getty)

“I think Steven gets the ball but I think his foot goes onto the ball and goes onto the boy’s leg,” added the Sunderland manager. “I was screaming from the stand. The hardest part was obviously the period after we lost Steven. But we kept two strikers up the pitch.”

Steven Pienaar is sent-off for Sunderland (Getty)

Bournemouth had no end of chances but were denied by a combination of wasteful finishing and Pickford, before succumbing to a second successive defeat. “I think the last two games we’ve had some really gilt edged chances, it’s been unlike us,” said Eddie Howe, the Bournemouth manager. “It’s been a frustrating afternoon. First and foremost I felt we should have been looking to go two goals ahead. We had a really good spell for 15 minutes when we battered their goal and that’s the moment really where we needed to capitalise and go on and win the game and unfortunately we left the back door open.”

Jermain Defoe scores Sunderland's winner from the penalty spot (Getty)

Teams

Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Boruc 7; A Smith 5, Francis 6, Cook 7, Daniels 6; Gosling 7, Arter 6 (Mousset 76, 6); Stanislas 6 (Fraser 82), Wilshere 8, Ibe 5 (Afobe 46, 5); King 6.

Subs not used: Federici, Ake, Pugh, Mings.

Sunderland (4-4-2): Pickford 9; Jones 7, Djilobodji 5, Kone 5, van Aanholt 6; Watmore 8 (Love 90), Ndong 7, Pienaar 4, McNair 5 (Denayer 67, 6); Anichebe 8, Defoe 7 (Gooch 90).

Subs not used: Mika, Januzaj, Gooch, Manquillo, Khazri.