A fair result and, while most Newcastle United supporters will recoil at the notion, the right result. Derby fixtures are not a breeding ground for logic — and, with all its accompanying vitriol, especially not this one — but Sunderland’s first home victory over their nearest, least dear rivals for 28 years, made sense. Care and good husbandry were rewarded and no gaping chasm was papered over.

Just as Sunderland fans can be heartened by their team’s renaissance under Roy Keane and the reawakening of ambition under Niall Quinn, the chairman, so Newcastle’s disquiet at the decline of their club should endure. This is the lingering reality of their situation: no permanent manager, an absentee owner who believes his incompetence is worthy of profit, a weak squad, an uncertain future.

Quinn and Mike Ashley; compare and contrast. Whether in terms of motivation, empathy, the desire to communicate warm words and hard truths, the trust placed in a charismatic manager, the understanding that a weighty club moored in their locale cannot be run by proxy and the investment in players, the competition is minimal. Amid red-and-white rejoicing, it is a black-and-white truth.

The scenes of violence and intimidation that accompanied the match were shocking, but the footballing story was also powerful. “Anybody who has Sunderland close to their hearts should enjoy this result,” Quinn said. “A minority shouldn’t and won’t spoil it. Saturday should be remembered for the right reasons.” For Sunderland, there was an emotional and psychological resonance. With the Stadium of Light at capacity, supporters below the age of 30 left with their own generation of players to lionise and fragile optimism reinforced. “It’s important that a full stadium is given reason to believe,” Keane said. “The club has had false hope before.”

By maintaining their status in the Barclays Premier League through signing established players and now through beating Newcastle, Sunderland are chipping away at a corrosive history. “It’s no good being a yo-yo club like in the old days,” Keane said.

“I’m not trying to build a team, I’m trying to build a football club and there’s a big, big difference.”

In Djibril Cissé, Steed Malbranque and Kieran Richardson, Sunderland had the most influential performers and were dominant. Newcastle had restored parity through Shola Ameobi’s header after Cissé had grasped the lead, but once Ameobi spurned another chance, they were flimsy. Richardson’s winning free kick was blissfully taken and in the latter moments, Cissé struck a post.

“I will be known as the manager who lost a derby game,” Joe Kinnear said. He is not fearful, however. “This squad is too good to go down,” he said. Others were more cautionary. “We’re down at the bottom and the longer you’re in there, the more desperate you get,” Nicky Butt said.

Sunderland (4-1-4-1): M Fulop 5 - P Chimbonda 7, A Ferdinand 7, D Collins 7, G McCartney 7 - D Yorke 7 - S Malbranque 8, D Whitehead 6, K Richardson 8, E-H Diouf 6 - D Cissé 8. Substitutes: K Jones 7 (for Yorke, 57min), T Tainio (for Malbranque, 87), A Reid (for Diouf, 87). Not used: P Bardsley, M Chopra, G Leadbitter, N Colgan. Next: Stoke City (a).

Newcastle (4-4-2): S Given 7 - H Beye 6, S Taylor 6, F Coloccini 6, S Bassong 5 - Gérémi 5, N Butt 6, D Guthrie 6, D Duff 5 - O Martins 5, S Ameobi 7. Substitutes: J Enrique (for Bassong, 85min), J Gutiérrez (for Gérémi, 73), J Barton (for Butt, 85). Not used: C Caçapa, S Harper, C N’Zogbia, Xisco. Next: West Brom (h).

Referee: M Riley Attendance: 47,936