Sunderland 4 Hull City 1

Sep 13 2009 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

“HE’S one of us,” taunted the Sunderland fans as Michael Turner helped send the Tigers home with their tails between their legs.

Former Hull favourite Turner capped an impressive debut with a key role in the goal that set the seal on a comprehensive Black Cats victory.

Although many thought he had headed home Andy Reid’s 75th-minute corner, Turner had actually put Kamil Zayatte under such pressure that the Hull stopper put through his own net.

By then, record £10 million buy Darren Bent had scored twice – the first from the penalty spot – either side of a Reid strike as Sunderland brushed Hull aside with ease.

Zayatte briefly brought Hull level at 1-1 just before half-time but the Tigers collapsed in the second half.

With three wins out of five, Steve Bruce’s men are flying high in sixth place, having made their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign.

And with back-to-back league games against newly-promoted Burnley and Wolves on the horizon, Sunderland have the opportunity to cement their place in the top half of the table by the end of the month.

Bruce handed new £4m signing Turner his debut against his old club, taking the place of Nyron Nosworthy alongside Anton Ferdinand in central defence.

Turner’s inclusion was one of three changes the Black Cats made to the side that started at Stoke a fortnight earlier.

The other changes saw Reid come in for hamstring injury victim George McCartney, while Fraizer Campbell – who spent a year on loan at Hull two season’s ago while still a Manchester United player – made his first league start for Sunderland, replacing Kenwyne Jones alongside Darren Bent up front.

Kieran Richardson was the man asked to deputise for McCartney in the problem position of left-back, with Reid occupying the left-flank berth that Richardson vacated.