Sunderland moved up to third place in Sky Bet League One with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Plymouth at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats took command quickly and – in Steven Schumacher’s second match in charge of Argyle – made it four victories from six unbeaten matches in the league.

Locally produced midfielder Dan Neil put Sunderland ahead in the fourth minute with a finely worked goal.

Neil applied the low finish from 12 yards out after Alex Pritchard’s corner to the near post was flicked on first time by the boot of Callum Doyle.

Nine minutes later Nathan Broadhead’s fourth goal in his last four games extended the lead. He timed his run to perfection to cheekily flick Leon Dajaku’s low cross beyond goalkeeper Mike Cooper.

Plymouth, who dropped to sixth after a fifth league game without a win, improved after the restart.

The Pilgrims’ Danny Mayor was denied by goalkeeper Thorben Hoffmann before Ryan Broom’s rebound effort was well blocked by Doyle.

And after Sunderland head coach Lee Johnson was cautioned for complaining about a few of referee Scott Oldham’s decisions, Dan Scarr headed Plymouth back in it from Jordan Houghton’s corner in the 64th minute.

Sunderland finished strongly. Broadhead and Dajaku both went close before Plymouth defender James Wilson blocked Aiden O’Brien’s effort from going in after a mistake from Cooper.