Sunderland 1-2 Middlesbrough: Cristhian Stuani double earns Boro derby victory as David Moyes fails to earn first point in charge at Stadium of Light

Cristhian Stuani blasted Middlesbrough ahead with a wonder-strike in the 13th minute

The Uruguayan forward doubled his side's lead from close range on stroke of half time

Patrick van Aanholt pulled one back, following up after Duncan Watmore's shot was saved 

David Moyes yet to pick up a single point since taking over as Sunderland manager

This game followed what has become an unmistakable Sunderland trend. Inadequate at the start and much better at the end. It never has been, and never will be, a recipe for progress.

Try this for a remarkable stat. The last time Sunderland won a Premier League game in August was in 2010. That is no successes in 16 attempts. No wonder so many seasons end in a scramble to avoid a journey to the Championship.

In Sam Allardyce it seemed as though Sunderland may have found a man to solve this problem of late summer suicide. It was due to him that this club finished last season with players dancing round the Stadium of Light pitch like cup winners.

Cristhian Stuani fires Middlesbrough ahead with a wonderful effort that dipped just under the crossbar in the 12th minute

The Uruguayan striker celebrates his wondergoal with Alvaro Negredo as Boro took the lead in the Wear-Tees derby

Stuani converts from close range to make it 2-0 before half-time, firing home from Negredo's cut-back

On his Premier League debut Stuani celebrated scoring twice before the break, his second coming just before half time

Patrick van Aanholt tucks home the rebound after Brad Guzan had spilled a shot from Duncan Watmore

Van Aanholt celebrates after pulling a goal back for Sunderland, sparking a late onslaught from the home side

But Allardyce has gone now and David Moyes has the responsibility of turning Sunderland in to something other than last season scramblers. So far Moyes has no points from two games. It has not been a good start and so the trend threatens to continue.

Sunderland were great to watch for half an hour in the second period on Sunday. They scored a goal and could have scored more. For a while, the locals were off their seats, blood pumping. The problem was that they were already two goals down by the time all that started.

Both those goals came in the first half from Middlesbrough's South American forward Cristhian Stuani. Middlesbrough had contributed an excellent away team performance by that stage and Moyes and his players were subsequently jeered off heartily at half-time.

By the end, they had at least made a game of it. They were booed off again, however, and Moyes has clear issues to contend with regardless of clear mitigating circumstances.

Of the Allardyce team that survived courtesy of a win against Everton last May, only three started this game. Key players such as Lee Cattermole, Fabio Borini and Jan Kirchhoff are injured while Younes Kaboul has been sold and fellow defender Lamine Kone wants to leave.

So Moyes has not had it easy but then he knew it would be this way. What he must do now is act decisively in the transfer market and build a team that will be ready to go once we get to the other side of the international break.

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, MATCH ZONE AND PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE 

Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Mannone 5.5; Love 4.5, O'Shea 6 (Pienaar 37, 6.5), Djilobodji 6.5, Van Aanholt 7; McNair 5 (Lens 46, 6), Rodwell 6; Januzaj 6.5, Watmore 6.5 (Asoro 81), Gooch 7; Defoe 6

Subs not used: Khazri, Pickford, Tom Robson, Josh Robson

Booked: Gooch 

Goal: Van Aanholt 71 

Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Guzan 5, Nsue 6 (Ayala 83) Gibson 7, Barragan 6.5, Friend 6; Clayton 7, Forshaw 7; Stuani 7.5, Ramirez 5.5 (Adomah 59, 6) Downing 6.5; Negredo 6 (Nugent 90) 

Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Fischer, Baptiste, de Sart

Booked: Clayton 

Goals: Stuani 13, 45

Man of the match: Stuani 

Referee: Martin Atkinson 7

Attendance: 43, 515 

*Ratings by Craig Hope at the Stadium of Light 

Stuani's first goal was an exceptional strike, but his second was more impressive in terms of team build-up. CLICK HERE for more from our MATCH ZONE.

Adnan Januzaj, starting his first game since joining Sunderland on loan from Manchester United, takes on Ben Gibson

Stuani's strike caught Sunderland by surprise after the home side had started the better at the Stadium of Light

The delight was plain to see as Stuani marked his first Premier League start with a sensational strike

Brad Guzan barks instructions at his defence as the hosts looked to find a way back into the game 

Sunderland boss David Moyes was left scratching his head as he attempted to earn a first point at his new club

If he doesn't then it will not only be August that is the problem because what Sunderland offered their suffering supporters was deeply flawed. They were okay in losing at Manchester City on opening day but this game was beyond them by the time they started to play.

Very early on, there were some flickers of life from Adnan Januzaj. The young Belgian was a sporadic threat throughout this game, coming to the fore again as Sunderland rallied late on.

On the whole, though, Sunderland were not cohesive early on. They were disparate with only the central midfielder Duncan Watmore showing the combination of appetite and quality required for this level.

Middlesbrough, on the other hand, were better organised and more confident. They seemed to be playing to a plan set out for them by manager Aitor Karanka. Let Sunderland have the ball and then strike quickly on the counter. It worked beautifully and in the 13th minute they were ahead.

There didn't seem to be that much danger as Stuani advanced towards goal through the inside right channel. The 29-year-old didn't seem to have glory in mind but a retreating Sunderland defence presented him with opportunity and the right foot shot he drew across Vito Mannone and in to the top corner from 25 yards was unstoppable.

Januzaj continued to impress on the right wing but the home side struggled to break Boro down

Jack Rodwell plays the ball away from Adam Clayton, with Sunderland looking to dictate the pace of the game 

Stewart Downing attempts to tackle Sunderland's young American midfielder Lynden Gooch, as Januzaj looks on

Clayton was booked for a cynical trip on Januzaj, who carried the best of Sunderland's limited first-half threat

Jermain Defoe headed a rebound in after Guzan had saved, but the flag had long since gone up for offside

Vito Mannone was left with no chance after unselfish play from Negredo teed up Stuani for his second goal

It was a superb goal and once last season's Sunderland top scorer Jermain Defoe failed to play a suitable return pass to Watmore after the young Englishman had released him down the left, Middlesbrough were able to inflict further damage.

Sunderland had lost captain John O'Shea by this stage, Jack Rodwell dropping back in to defence. Moyes later identified that as a key moment and it was Rodwell who Alvaro Negredo turned inside in the 44th minute before setting up Stuani from closer range.

So it had been a perfect half for Middlesbrough and something approaching disaster for Sunderland. The second period saw Moyes change his formation – substitute Jeremain Lens joining Defoe at the top of a 4-4-2 – and the improvement was marked.

Sunderland found pace and directness and crispness and all of a sudden were rather good to watch. Januzaj was persistently dangerous but the home team's thrust came from deeper, from left-back Patrick van Aanholt.

Negredo is acknowledged by Clayton and Emilio Nsue for his role in the second goal as Boro took complete control

Van Aanholt battles with Nsue as the Premier League new boys showed more penetration than their rivals

Papy Djiloboji gets up highest to meet a corner, but Sunderland struggled to find a way through the visiting defence

A survivor from last season, the Dutch defender is a flyer when he gets going and in the 71st minute he bombed forward to ram in a rebound from six yards after Middlesbrough reserve goalkeeper Brad Guzan had spilled a shot from Watmore.

Sunderland had created chances in the run up to that goal and did so afterwards. Guzan – playing because of injury to Victor Valdes – looked nervy as Middlesbrough wobbled and he spilled a low shot from Januzaj while Van Aanholt fizzed a cross through a sea of legs from the left by line.

Ultimately, Sunderland had left themselves with too much to do and it was Groundhog Day on Wearside once more. Afterwards Karanka was asked if his team felt they belonged in the Premier League and seemed unwilling to commit to that. Moyes may be advised to do likewise.

Duncan Watmore looks to break away from Ben Gibson on the left wing, but Boro kept their north-East neighbours in check

Watmore gets his head to the ball ahead of Nsue's raised boot as Sunderland looked to force a way back into the game

Van Aanholt was quick to recover the ball and get the game back underway after his goal, but it was too little too late

Negredo had a glorious chance to extend the Boro lead, but his heavy touch allowed Mannone to smother the ball

Antonio Barragan battles with Gooch as Boro attempted to hold out under pressure late on from the hosts

Steven Pienaar shows his dismay as another chance goes begging for Sunderland in a second consecutive defeat