Sunderland 2-1 Notts County
Two goals in the final 10 minutes saw Sunderland come from behind against Notts County and secure their place in round two of the Checkatrade Trophy.
The Black Cats were largely frustrated for most of the evening as Rees Greenwood and George Honeyman was denied early on.
Vito Mannone, who made his first appearance since the opening Premier League game of the season, produced a fine stop to deny Alan Smith as the Magpies forced their way back into the game.
Despite a goalless opening period, Adam Campbell sparked the game into life on 49 minutes as he hooked the ball past Mannone.
Sunderland hit back and while they continued to draw blanks, Maja inspired a late comeback as he guided the ball past Scott Loach on 83 minutes.
While a draw was enough to secure the Lads’ route into the next round, Haydn Hollis turned home Seb Larsson’s strike as Sunderland snatched victory at a bitterly cold Stadium of Light.
Mannone returned from injury and started the night between the sticks along with fellow first-teamers Larsson, Jason Denayer and Donald Love.
Meanwhile, Joel Asoro started the night up top with Honeyman and Greenwood placed just behind him to add further food for thought.
Michael Ledger and George Brady form a firm partnership at the back with Robson duo Josh and Tommy adding an attacking dimension from the full-back berths.
Greenwood spearheaded Sunderland’s attack as his pace and trickery saw him fashion two openings in the first few moments.
Honeyman then went close as he latched onto Love’s slipped pass, the Beekeeper looked to touch the ball past Loach but the stopper was wise to the situation and timed his interception perfectly to overt the danger.
The visitors hit back and while Sunderland continued to dominate possession, Mannone was the busier keeper as he most notably produced an outstretched save to deny Smith a goal-bound header from 12 yards.
Greenwood and Honeyman provided bags of creativity, Larsson was his usual motoring self in the middle of the park and he controlled the ebb and flow of the game alongside Denayer.
However, the first half petered out as both sides cancelled each other out and went into the interval goalless.
Like the first period, the Magpies began brightly as Smith was denied by the feet of Mannone before the rebound smashed into the side netting.
Notts continued to heap the pressure on and with 49 minutes on the clock, Campbell hooked the ball into the bottom corner to hand the visitors a precious lead.
That forced Sunderland’s hand as Maja came on in place of Asoro but as the hosts committed bodies forward, County broke on the counter-attack after Brady’s stray pass was picked off.
Campbell unselfishly fed Smith who was in acres of space, but the experienced frontman was denied by the foot of Mannone who did extremely well to race off his line.
Sunderland composed themselves and confidently knocked the ball around as Greenwood combined with Robson before Maja was just unable to climb high enough to get his head on the ball in from the left flank.
Moments later, Greenwood came inside and linked up well with Maja who neatly laid the ball off to the winger to send a fine effort whistling past Loach’s post.
The Black Cats continued to plug away and with 83 minutes on the clock Maja waltzed his way into the box and dispatched a low shot past Loach.
And Larsson saw a cross deflected in for an own goal off a Notts defender to win the match in the final minute of normal time.
Sunderland: Mannone, J Robson (Molyneux, 77), T Robson, Brady, Ledger, Love, Larsson, Denayer, Honeyman, Greenwood, Asoro (Maja, 57)
Substitutes: Talbot, Wright, Casey, Pybus, Poame
Notts County: Loach, Laing, Duffy, Hollis, Dickinson, Tootle, Hewitt, Burke, Campbell, Smith (Oliver, 77), Snijders
Substitutes: Collin, Forte, Aborah, O’Connor, Richards, Milsom
Attendance: 633