Callum McManaman’s stoppage-time heroics clinched a point at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland and Middlesbrough played out a six-goal thriller.
Joel Asoro opened the scoring with 10 minutes on the clock as the Lads bossed the opening exchanges, but the red mist followed as Jake Clarke-Salter and Adama Traore were dismissed before the break.
Boro rallied after the interval and eight minutes after the restart they led, as Patrick Bamford’s solo effort levelled the game before Grant Leadbitter struck from the penalty spot.
Chris Coleman’s men duly responded and Jonny Williams, who replaced the injured Paddy McNair in the opening period, equalised before the hour mark, but Bamford looked to have had the final say as the visitors edged back into the lead.
However, substitute McManaman dashed Boro hopes deep into added time with a well-taken finish to clinch a point for the Lads.
MAJA RETURNS
With Ashley Fletcher unavailable against his parent club, Josh Maja led the line. The 19-year-old faced Boro in the Emirates FA Cup in and January and caused problems, with the Black Cats’ best opportunity seeing him strike the woodwork. Adam Matthews as also included in the starting XI as Billy Jones dropped to the bench, with the visitors selecting a menacing front four of Stewart Downing, Traore, Bamford and Britt Assombalonga.
END-TO-END
Sunderland’s first sight at goal came after just nine seconds as Ryan Shotton’s wayward header dropped to Asoro, but despite an impeccable first touch the 18-year-old’s effort sailed way over the crossbar. Four minutes later, Boro threatened for the first time as Assombalonga powered through the gears, but after giving the ball away, Lee Cattermole tracked back to deny the striker. And the game continued at a similarly frantic pace, as Maja went within a whisker of connecting with Matthews’ tempting cross.
YOUNG GUNS COMBINE
A poor header from Shotton almost cost Boro during the opening stages, but Asoro made sure he punished the visitors at the second time of asking as the Lads edges in front on ten minutes. Maja’s flick on forced the issue and Shotton was unable to clear, with the Swede reacting quickest to poke the ball beyond Darren Randolph and send the red and white army into raptures. McNair and Matthews both required treatment in the stages that followed, but the duo were able to continue for the time being.
RED MIST DESCENDS
Sunderland continued to push forward and Asoro wreaked havoc whenever in possession, but just as the Black Cats looked like they’d turned a corner, disaster struck. Tracked by Maja, Traore charged across the halfway line but from nowhere Clarke-Salter steamed into the winger and sent him flying head over heels, with the referee subsequently brandishing a red card. Replays showed the Lads could have few complaints, but there was little time to dwell as Boro searched for a route back into the game.
TEN v TEN
Traore remained at the centre of the action and with half hour played he should have levelled, but from inside the box he was unable to find the target. Like Asoro, McNair impressed and he added a fresh dimension to the Lads’ attacking play, but he was needed at the other end before the break as a last-ditch challenge denied the visitors. Seconds later, Traore was sent off for an off-the-ball incident – and he didn’t go quietly. After shoving Bryan Oviedo in the face, the Boro man squared up to anyone who dared look at him, including his own team-mates, as he headed for an early bath.
BORO BITE BACK
Cruelly, McNair was forced off with 41 minutes on the clock after taking an earlier knock, and Williams entered the fray. Eight minutes of added time were allocated at the end of a truly bonkers opening 45 minutes, but it remained 1-0 at the interval. Coleman’s main message at half-time will have been to keep things tight – the opposite happened. With 50 minutes played, Bamford was allowed to bring the ball under his spell in the box and he followed it up with a superb solo effort. And three minutes later the visitors led, as Camp brought down Assombalonga and Leadbitter converted from the spot.
BLACK CATS RESPOND
After consecutive sucker punches, Sunderland provided the perfect response and before the hour mark they hauled themselves level. Oviedo teased his man and breezed past him before pulling the ball back into the mix, and Williams provided the finish with a driven strike nestling into the corner. The equaliser saw the Lads snatched the momentum and, with the SoL rocking, they went in search of another, as Cattermole saw two efforts blocked before Honeyman was denied. However, the visitors should have led on 65 minutes, as substitute Jack Harrison picked out Bamford and he blazed his effort wildly off target.
LATE, LATE SHOW
Five minutes later, Bamford made no such mistake. Muhamed Besic clipped a stunning though ball towards the forward and it split the Sunderland defence in two, but there was still plenty of work to do as he looped the ball over Camp and slotted the ball into the net. Aiden McGeady came off the bench with 15 minutes left and he almost levelled soon after, but his goalbound effort was headed away by Shotton with Randolph rooted to the spot. Another substitute, McManaman, then forced the Boro stopper into a cracking save with four minutes of normal time remaining, but the drama wasn’t over and there and the winger’s stoppage-time strike cliched a deserved draw.
Sunderland: Camp, Kone, O’Shea, Clarke-Salter, Matthews, Oviedo, Cattermole, McNair (Williams 41), Honeyman (McGeady 79), Asoro, Maja (McManaman 65).
Subs: Steele, Jones, Browning, Robson.
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Shotton, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Leadbitter (Howson 76), Besic, Downing (Clayton 67), Traore, Bamford, Assombalonga (Harrison 63).
Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Craine, Fry, Baker.