Player Ratings: Newcastle United 0-1 Sunderland

Sunderland made it four consecutive wins over local rivals Newcastle United on Sunday with a dramatic 1-0 victory at St James' Park in the Premier League.

Both sides fought hard during what was a frenetic match, with plenty of chances appearing at both ends of the pitch.

However, the only goal of the game came on 89 minutes when Adam Johnson fired in following a quick counter-attack from the visitors.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the individual performances of those involved in what was a fiery Tyne-Wear derby.

NEWCASTLE

Goal

Jak Alnwick: Despite doubts over his fitness, the young stopper performed competently between the sticks for the home side. (7/10)

Defence

Daryl Janmaat: Showed good energy to get up and down the right flank, but occasionally gave the ball away unnecessarily with some dodgy decision-making. (6/10)

Fabricio Coloccini: A standard performance from the Argentine, who led well from the back and made life difficult for the Sunderland attackers with his physical presence. (7/10)

Steven Taylor: Did not do a lot wrong in central defence. Looked like his afternoon was over when he clattered into the post during the second half, though he battled on until the end. (7/10)

Paul Dummett: Looked up for the fight early on and provided a threat from out wide with some decent deliveries into the box. (7/10)

Midfield

Cheick Tiote: Steamed around the pitch impressively during the first half, but the Ivorian faded as the game wore on. (5/10)

Jack Colback: Anchored Newcastle's midfield with a mature and composed display against his former club. (7/10)

Yoan Gouffran: Only showed flashes of what he is capable of from wide areas before being taken on with around 30 minutes remaining. (5/10)

Moussa Sissoko: The Frenchman struggled to get involved in the match during the first half before making a bigger impact after the break. Almost found the net with a rasping drive minutes before Sunderland's winner. (6/10)

Attack

Sammy Ameobi: Drifted in and out of the action far too much for the home fans' liking. Rarely did anything to worry the opposition. (5/10)

Ayoze Perez: Brought supporters to their feet a couple of times with some exciting forward play. However, he needed more support higher up the pitch. (6/10)

Substitutes

Adam Armstrong: The local lad's energy added a different, more positive dimension to Newcastle's attack during the final 30 minutes. (7/10)

Papiss Cisse: Was introduced as an impact substitute with 15 minutes left to play, yet the Senegalese found it difficult to impose himself on the Sunderland defence. (5/10)

Remy Cabella: A late cameo from the Frenchman failed to light up the home side. (5/10)

SUNDERLAND

Goal

Costel Pantilimon: Sunderland's goalkeeper looked far from convincing on a couple of occasions as he flapped at crosses, but he also made a couple of good saves to keep Newcastle at bay. (6/10)

Defence

Santiago Vergini: Appeared vulnerable at times as he made a mess of his defensive duties, particularly in the first half when the hosts piled on the pressure. (5/10)

Sebastian Coates: Was thrown into the starting lineup close to kickoff following an injury to Anthony Reveillere in the warm-up, but the Uruguayan stood up well to the opposition at the back. (6/10)

John O'Shea: A solid showing from the Black Cats' skipper, O'Shea organised his colleagues and kept Sunderland disciplined in deep areas. (7/10)

Wes Brown: Worked well with his defensive partners, with his big-game experience giving the visitors a calming presence. (7/10)

Midfield

Lee Cattermole: Made himself known inside the opening 15 seconds with a foul, though this was a subdued afternoon for Cattermole overall. (6/10)

Jordi Gomez: Wasted a glorious chance to put the away side ahead in the first half. Recovered from his miss to provide Sunderland with a bit of flair in midfield. (7/10)

Sebastian Larsson: The Dane was impressive out wide, with his deliveries causing the Newcastle defence plenty of problems. (7/10)

Adam Johnson: With Larsson on one wing, Johnson was equally as dangerous out on the other thanks to the quality of his crossing. Made himself a hero late on with an authoritative finish to score the winner. (7/10)

Connor Wickham: Worked hard for his team in wide areas, while his pace and power made life tough for the likes of Coloccini and Taylor. Missed a sitter in the first half, though it mattered little in the end. (7/10)

Attack

Steven Fletcher: Despite playing as the lone striker, the Scot excelled in the role. Holding the ball up well and showing good positional awareness, Fletcher stood out for the visitors. (8/10)

Substitutes

Liam Bridcutt: Was brought on with 20 minutes left and shored up Sunderland's midfield in place of Cattermole. (6/10)

Will Buckley: Was largely a passenger for the final 10 minutes when he came off the bench for Wickham, until he produced a smart layoff for Johnson's winner. (6/10)

Jack Rodwell: With just one minute of injury time remaining when he came off the bench, Rodwell struggled to have a say. (5/10)