The manner in which his side took apart a team who had not conceded a goal in more than 200 minutes of football before kick-off at Portman Road will have reinforced his belief that Ipswich can avoid relegation.

By his own admission, though, there is still a lot of hard work to be done if Town are to retain their top-flight status.

However, Burley whose side won the 2000 Nationwide First Division play-offs and then went on to finish fifth in the Barclaycard Premiership last season and secure an unlikely return to European football feels Ipswich have turned the corner after a third successive win.

Despite a decent run in the UEFA Cup, which saw Italian giants Inter Milan humbled at Portman Road before winning the tie in the second leg, Ipswich have struggled to recapture last season’s form.

Before Christmas they were rock bottom of the Premiership and looked nailed on to be playing in the Nationwide League again next term.

But a surprise win at high-flying Tottenham followed by victory over fellow strugglers Leicester on

St Stephen's Day and another impressive win yesterday, has Ipswich just one point away from hauling themselves out of the bottom three.

‘‘If we were in this position last season, people would not have been batting an eyelid because we were odds-on to go down,’’ said Burley.

‘‘We had an unbelievable season last season and, of course, it is never going to be easy in the second year, but we are only halfway through.

‘‘You need a few breaks and certainly we have not had them in the first half of the season and you just hope it balances out.

‘‘That’s why you have got to keep believing and keep playing.

‘‘If we keep performing, keep at it, and get our fair share of breaks, hopefully we can keep the club in the Premiership.’’

Alun Armstrong’s opener after a quarter of an hour had more than a touch of good fortune about it. The ball trickled inside the near post after Finidi George’s low centre had hit the striker’s trailing leg.

Armstrong’s second came 12 minutes later when he got ahead of Sunderland goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to nod into an empty net. That was seconds after defender Thomas Gaardsoe had opened his account for Ipswich by heading in Mark Venus’ corner.

Town’s fourth was the pick of the bunch. Nigerian international George clipped the ball over Sorensen from the edge of the box after great build-up play involving Marcus Bent and Matt Holland.

Substitute Jamie Clapham smashed a close-range shot for the fifth on 85 minutes.

Burley will be without George for around five weeks at the start of the new year, as the £3million summer signing will be on international duty in the African Nations Cup.

‘‘He is a top-class player and is going to be a big miss,’’ said Burley, who expects to have leading scorer Marcus Stewart back for the visit to Charlton on New Year’s Day.

‘‘Finidi is really showing what talent he has got now.

‘‘People were maybe questioning whether he could adapt to the English game, but he showed against Sunderland all the talents he has got.’’

Sunderland manager Peter Reid, whose side were denied a third straight win, said: ‘‘It’s very frustrating because I don’t know what I am going to get from them.

‘‘I get a great performance at Blackburn, where we passed it and competed really well, and a couple of days later I get that.

‘‘It was the same lads in the same shirts, but it wasn’t the same team out there.’’