NIALL QUINN led the destruction of Nottingham Forest at the City Ground last night as Sunderland demonstrated they will be more than Premiership cannon fodder this season.
The Republic of Ireland striker - signed for £1.3 million from Manchester City last week, but used only as a substitute in the goalless draw with Leicester on Saturday - struck twice on his first full outing for his new club.
Indeed, Quinn gave the Forest defence a torrid time to suggest that he can provide the firepower to keep Sunderland in the top flight.
Forest did not know what had hit them as their 3-0 opening day romp at Coventry became no more than a fading memory inside an opening 45 minutes which produced all five goals.
Michael Gray opened the scoring after seven minutes, cutting in from his left flank berth to curl a sweet shot with the outside of his left foot beyond Mark Crossley.
That sparked the home side into an instant riposte, with Dean Saunders seeing a scuffed close range effort hacked off the line and a brave header fly just too high.
But Sunderland struck again in the 16th minute, and there was a huge element of luck about it. Kevin Ball challenged Crossley for Steve Chettle's underhit backpass and the misdirected clearance cannoned off the knee of a bemused Quinn to roll into the unguarded net.
Stuart Pearce looked to have helped Forest grab a lifeline 10 minutes later when he marched forward to launch a 30 yard blockbuster that Tony Coton could only tip on to the bar and Alfie Haaland nodded home the loose ball with the Sunderland goalkeeper stranded.
Saunders blazed another long range effort just over a minute later as Frank Clark's men went in search of equality, but Sunderland regrouped and came out to floor Forest with another two goal salvo.
Quinn grabbed his second just after the half hour, rising majestically to power Paul Bracewell's pinpoint cross over Crossley with a scorching header. Then on the stroke of half time centre back Richard Ord met Martin Scott's left wing corner with another emphatic header that flashed into the net.
Manager Clark's harsh interval words had the desired effect as the home side came out to force Sunderland into some serious defending. Ord made a superb clearance to hook Steve Stone's cross behind and then Chris Bart Williams swerved a 20 yard drive a foot wide.
But Sunderland quelled the Forest fire with sheer industry and weight of numbers in defence, while Quinn and Stewart ran themselves to a standstill to provide an outlet for sporadic breaks which threatened to embarrass the home side further.
Forest's miserable night continued when Saunders, for once finding a yard of space between Sunderland's central pair, turned to hoist a 10 yard shot well over.
And even when Stone found a way through, he watched in disbelief as his clipped effort sailed over Coton and off the underside of the crossbar before being scrambled away from the danger zone.
