Slack marking from an Ian Harte corner was to gift Leeds their opener.
Alan Smith was the hero turned villain at the Stadium of Light but Leeds still emerged with three points.
In a battle of two sides with European ambitions for next season, Smith's strike on 33 minutes set Leeds on their way and Mark Viduka added a second in injury-time.
But Smith blotted his copybook by being sent-off on 71 minutes for two bookable offences.
That provided no consolation to Sunderland though, who in front of a club record crowd of 48,285 continued a poor run of home form that has seen them pick up just one victory in eight games.
In a frenetic opening Leeds lost the services of Olivier Dacourt, injured in a challenge with Sunderland trio Stefan Schwarz, Gavin McCann and Julio Arca.
Eirik Bakke replaced Dacourt but Leeds were fortunate not to fall behind on nine minutes.
As the visitors failed to properly clear an Arca corner, Schwarz saw a right-footed volley from 15 yards go inches wide of Nigel Martyn's right post.
The Leeds forward line were having trouble against the Sunderland offside trap, but after 20 minutes Lee Bowyer should have put them ahead as he latched on to a long ball from Danny Mills.
Chances at both ends were few and far between in a tense first half.
But Sunderland felt hard done by when Phillips went down under the challenge of Rio Ferdinand just outside the penalty area following Patrice Carteron's long ball.
Phillips took the ball down on his chest before being bundled over by Ferdinand and the Leeds man was fortunate to escape punishment.
Slack marking from an Ian Harte corner was to gift Leeds their opener.
Harte's deep delivery was headed back by the isolated Harry Kewell and Alan Smith, enjoying a similar amount of space just six yards out, directed the ball into the top left corner.
Despite being forced into reorganising their defence for the second period with Gary Kelly replacing the injured Lucas Radebe, the Leeds rearguard was rarely tested.
However, the pressure intensified on Leeds as Smith was dismissed after collecting two yellow cards.
His first booking was for a petulant challenge on Gray and within 15 minutes he showed he had not learnt his lesson as he needlessly brought down Carteron.
The numerical advantage inspired Sunderland and after Martyn had brilliantly denied Arca, Schwarz fired just over following a neat lay-off by substitute Danny Dichio.
But in injury-time Mark Viduka's fifth goal in five games settled the match.
Substitute Robbie Keane provided the pass and Viduka clinically put the ball past Sorensen.
Sunderland: Sorensen, Carteron, Craddock, Thome, Gray, McCann, Kilbane, Schwarz, Arca, Phillips, Hutchison. Subs: Dichio, Williams, Butler, Macho, Varga.
Leeds: Martyn, Harte, Radebe, Ferdinand, Mills, Kewell, Batty, Dacourt, Bowyer, Viduka, Smith. Subs: Kelly, Keane, Robinson, Wilcox, Bakke.
Referee: S Dunn (Bristol)