LONDON - Two late goals ended West Ham's three-match losing run after Nolberto Solano and Luis Boa Morte came on to orchestrate a bubbling finale at Upton Park.
It was 1-1 when manager Alan Curbishley called for a double change in the 73rd minute amid cries of "you don't know what you are doing" as midfield favourite Mark Noble went off with Matthew Etherington.
But Solano, a free transfer from Newcastle making his Hammers debut after playing twice for Peru last week, soon had the fans changing their tune.
When Boa Morte's cross from the left was deflected to him in acres of space at the far post he applied a careful finish that beat keeper Craig Gordon and came back off a post - only to dribble back into the net off the luckless Scotsman's legs.
Then, in injury time of a match Hammers seemed to have thrown away after taking an early lead, another Boa Morte run laid on a simple tap-in for the deserving Craig Bellamy, another player proving his fitness after an international comeback for Wales following knee surgery.
Sunderland seemed likely to take at least a point when Kenwyne Jones headed them level from a Grant Leadbitter corner seven minutes into the second half. And Leadbitter was unlucky to see Robert Green make a flying save from his shot, palming the ball against a post.
But the Hammers late show was the deciding factor in a match that got better the longer it went on.
Sunderland could have been ahead in the first minute after winning a corner when Ross Wallace picked out the towering Jones but the former Southampton striker's unchallenged header flew over the bar from about eight yards.
There was another early scare at the back for Hammers when keeper Green spilled the ball after Halford's throw-in was flicked on but the England candidate soon recovered to snatch it at the second attempt.
But for the rest of the first half that was practically all he saw of Sunderland apart from turning a long-range effort by the hard-working Jones which soared over his crossbar.
Perhaps it was the fact that floodlights were on from the start despite a bright, blue-skied autumn afternoon, that West Ham's passes consistently found their targets in the first half.
And it was a flowing move which ended with them breaking their mini-drought - no goals in 238 league minutes - when Cole, still deputising for injured Dean Ashton, notched his first of the season in the ninth minute.
Midfielder Hayden Mullins sent George McCartney away down the left and the full back's fine cross was looped in over Craig Gordon by Cole's header in only his third start of the campaign.
He blotted his copybook somewhat by collecting a booking just three minutes later for a late tackle on Sunderland's Danny Collins but it was, in charitable terms, perhaps a sign of renewed enthusiasm galvanised by the goal and he was soon shooting again, a long-range drive well held by £9million Scottish keeper Gordon.
Gordon's opposite number Green was called into action again when he turned Jones's speculative shot from distance over the bar for a corner but West Ham comfortably cleared the set-piece and when the combative Grant Leadbitter went in late on Lucas Neill, the Sunderland man's name also went into referee Chris Foy's book.
West Ham were sometimes untidy in defence and slackness by Gabbidon allowed Liam Miller a shot from 20 yards that was too straight to really trouble Green.
Up front they were full of enterprise though, almost giving the lie to the fact that they had lost their three previous league games and managed to beat Plymouth in the Carling Cup only by a last-gasp Ashton effort before his latest injury.
Sunderland, without the still-injured Keiran Richardson and Dwight Yorke and with Michael Chopra starting on the bench, were unable to emerge from a defensive shell for long periods with Jones often marooned in attack on his own.
And before the break Matt Etherington's shot which skimmed just wide of the far post before Lee Bowyer headed the winger's free-kick over the bar from a promising, unmarked position.
No wonder Roy Keane made two changes at the interval, taking off first-starter O'Donovan and Wallace and sending on ex-Arsenal youngster Anthony Stokes and Chopra
And it seemed to have reaped a reward when Jones headed in to take his tally to four for his new club this season.
But Solano came on to take a bow and Boa Morte could have even upstaged him had he converted an even later chance at 3-1.
