Cardiff City 0-1 Sunderland: Cardiff further into the Championship relegation fight
Dennis Cirkin scored from a rebound on 61 minutes after Alex Pritchard's sweet free-kick struck the post to deservedly put the Black Cats in front.
Sunderland dominated the first half, but could not find a breakthrough.
Defeat sees Cardiff sink to 21st in the Championship, just a point above Reading and the relegation zone.
Concerns will no doubt be rising in the Welsh capital as the goal-shy Bluebirds were beaten on Easter Monday for a third successive time to increase their anxieties about playing League One football next season.
This was a contest that on paper neither side could afford to lose, with Cardiff starting the day just a point outside the relegation zone despite their 3-1 win at Blackpool on Good Friday.
Sunderland kicked off in the Welsh capital seven points adrift of a play-off berth, following their topsy-turvy 4-4 draw with Hull City that saw them concede in the eighth minute of added time.
Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray made four changes to the XI who started against Hull for the Black Cats' first league visit to Cardiff in five years and it was his side who started on the front foot with Pierre Ekwah and Daniel Neil both firing off target.
In a contest lacking in quality the Black Cats continued to probe with Abdoullah Ba forcing Ryan Allsop to save, while only poor control denied Amad Diallo a clear sight of goal and Danny Batth headed over from a corner.
Sunderland were on top to such a degree that Cardiff boss Sabri Lamouchi made a surprising double change on 36 minutes as Jaden Philogene and Sheyi Ojo were replaced by the more defensively minded Andy Rinomhota and Jack Simpson, moments before the visitors saw a Jack Clarke header ruled out for offside.
It took Cardiff 40 minutes to find an effort on target and they should have scored when Sory Kaba was given space for a free header, but his effort was straight at Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
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