Soccer-Sunderland dent Hull's survival hopes with 2-0 win

* Jones and Defoe gave relegated Sunderland a 2-0 win at Hull City

* Result damaged Hull's hopes of staying in top flight

* Visiting keeper Pickford made a string of good saves

* Hull suffered first home defeat under manager Marco Silva

* Hull next visit Crystal Palace on May 14; Sunderland at home to Swansea on May 13

HULL CITY 0 SUNDERLAND 2

May 6 ( Reuters) - Hull City's hopes of avoiding Premier League relegation suffered a body blow after goals from Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe condemned them to a 2-0 home defeat by already axed Sunderland on Saturday.

The result left Hull one place above the drop zone in 17th on 34 points from 36 games, two more than 18th-placed Swansea who were hosting Everton later in the day.

Right back Jones headed in a 69th-minute opener against the run of play and Defoe bundled in the second goal in stoppage time, although video replays showed he was offside when a free kick from the right was delivered into his path.

Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford enjoyed a superb afternoon as he pulled off a string of excellent saves, denying Sam Lucas, Lazar Markovic and Abel Hernandez as Hull pressed forward relentlessly but were let down by poor finishing. (Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic; Editing by Clare Fallon)