The £10million signing from Tottenham superbly dispatched Steed Malbranque's cross in the fifth minute to give Steve Bruce a winning start to his reign.

The Black Cats finished fifth bottom last season with a pitiful points tally of 36 after a desperate fight against relegation.

Yet the appointment of Bruce, and the significant funds he has been handed by billionaire owner Ellis Short, have boosted hopes on Wearside that Sunderland can push for a top-10 finish this season.

The collective desire on display at the Reebok Stadium certainly bodes well for the coming months as Bruce's men dug deep in the second half to protect their lead as Bolton hit them with an aerial bombardment.

Bent said: "All week Steve Bruce had drummed it into us that it wouldn't be Bolton's football that would beat us, but them bullying us.

"Anton (Ferdinand) and Danny Collins were fantastic and we really fought hard and competed.

"That's what got us the victory."

Bent, 25, recently made the headlines for the wrong reasons after he used the social networking site Twitter to publicly criticise Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy at what he saw as the lack of progress over his transfer to Black Cats.

Having finally been granted his move to Wearside, the England international looked well and truly at home in the red and white of Sunderland and dovetailed effectively with Kenwyne Jones throughout.

Bent's pace was a constant threat to the Bolton backline and could have easily had a hat-trick, although he was happy to settle for one.

Bent said: "I've had it drummed into me that the most important goal is the first one.

"When you've got the first one then hopefully the second and third aren't too far away.

"People bang on about the statistics but I'm just delighted to find the back of the net and hopefully there will be many more for me."

A successful season at the Stadium of Light could yet secure Bent a place in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad when England, as seems inevitable, head to South Africa next summer.

"It would be nice but at the same time all the other England strikers are doing well," added Bent.

"(Jermain) Defoe got two the other day (against Holland) but as long as I'm playing regularly for Sunderland I'll be happy.

"My first target is holding down a place in the Sunderland first-team and if I can do that hopefully the goals will come."

With new recruits Lee Cattermole and Lorik Cana also making impressive debuts in midfield, Sunderland totally dominated the first half and should been out of sight at the break.

Bruce is not getting carried away but he knows the pressure is on to push for a top-10 finish.

"We've been in the bottom five or six for the last two years but that (a top-10 finish) is what we need to do," said Bruce.

"Bolton have been in the Premier League for nine years and we need to do that and stop being this yo-yo club.

"When you are in it for a certain time you find it easier to get better players in."

Bolton counterpart Gary Megson struggled to find any positives after a defeat which exposed his side's lack of firepower.

Sam Ricketts, Paul Robinson, Zat Knight and Sean Davis all made their debuts for the Trotters but it is a striker that Megson looks in need of right now.

The Bolton boss was also unhappy with his side's defending when Bent scored.

Megson admitted: "It was a great header and leap from Bent, but our defending was nowhere near what I'd expect in such a critical area."