Where there is light there is hope.

The prayer of St Francis might have been the last thing on the minds of Aston Villa supporters as they celebrated this win but they were certainly invoking the name of another Christian, nonetheless – Benteke of this parish.

The Belgian scored a second-half hat trick as Paul Lambert's side roared to their biggest win since 2008 and eased five points clear of the relegation zone.

It brought Sunderland's mini-revival to a shuddering halt while a red card for Stephane Sessegnon further dented his club's ambitions of remaining in the top flight next season, bringing as it did a three-game suspension with that number of games left to play. But in the final analysis, the team most obviously affected by the result are FA Cup finalists Wigan Athletic, who have been cut adrift, and have just four matches to do something about it.

Paolo Di Canio's Sunderland outfit, like Villa and Newcastle, are on 37 points and should be safe but it is not a secure position by any means.

Lambert will take immense satisification in the fact that he has a talent such as the PFA Young Player of the Year nominee to call on, however.

"He's been world class," said the Villa manager. "The greatest compliment I can give him is that he's a really humble guy who can be anything."

Villa's form puts them in the driving seat while their heavy negative goal difference was also boosted by a swing of five. "First and foremost we had to win the game," added Lambert. "We have put a lot of teams in the mix, pulled away from Wigan and are playing really well."

Benteke might have added the second-half gloss but the pyrotechnics were lit by a pair of memorable strikes from two players who would have had the longest odds to score. If you are going to wait until the dregs of April to get your first of the season, it is best to make it worth the wait.

In that regard, both Ron Vlaar and Danny Rose fulfilled their obligations. Both were different. Both were high class, in keeping with a thoroughly absorbing contest which, if lacking in finesse, was enthralling entertainment none the less.

If Rose's equaliser had been a setback to Villa, the young side soon regained the initiative. When Sunderland were caught with too many men forward, Matthew Lowton delivered a fine crossfield pass and an unmarked Andreas Weimann did the rest.

Ten minutes into the second half, Villa had a third as Benteke nodded a the rebound. Next, he rose above Carlos Cueller to steer home a far post header before driving his third past Simon Mignolet. Gabriel Agbonlahor added a sheen with two minutes left.

In between, Sessegnon was dismissed for flattening Yacouba Sylla.