Sunderland let two points slip through their fingers as Hull City scored from the penalty spot with the last kick of the match to earn a 4-4 draw in a crazy game at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats had twice come from behind to lead, only to be pegged back in the 98th minute.
Hull had gone in front after ten minutes through Ozan Tufan, but the Black Cats turned it round with two goals in as many minutes midway through the half, with Joe Gelhardt levelling and then Amad putting them in front. But that lead lasted only a couple of minutes before Allahyar brought Hull level at 2-2.
And then midway through the second half an error from Trai Hume allowed Regan Slater to put Hull in front for a second time. Amad then squared things up again from the penalty spot after Jack Clarke had been fouled, and Clarke then put the Black Cats in front with ten minutes remaining.
READ MORE: Sunderland 4-4 Hull City: Highlights and reaction as Black Cats drop two points right at the death
Yet just when they looked to have the game in the bag, substitute Pierre Ekwah gave away a penalty and Tufan tucked it away to earn his side a share of the points. The draw meant Sunderland moved up one place to 11th, while Hull stay 17th.
Tony Mowbray made two changes to the side that started the draw at Burnley a week ago, with Amad and Edouard Michut returning to the side in place of Alex Pritchard and Pierre Ekwah, who dropped to the bench. Hull City boss Liam Rosenior also made two changes, in his case to the side that started the goalless draw at home to Rotherham United last weekend, with Tufan and Dimitrios Pelkas replacing Malcolm Ebiowei and Ryan Longman.
Sunderland started well, and Patrick Roberts fizzed a shot across the face of goal from the right that was just too far in front of Gelhardt as he tried to divert it into the net at the far post. The Black Cats then hit the woodwork, after Roberts beat his man on the right and when his cross failed to find a red and white shirt it was recovered and played out to Lynden Gooch on the left, and his curling cross beat on loan Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow but clipped the outside of the far post on its way out.
Yet it was Hull who took the lead with their first meaningful attack, as they played through Sunderland's midfield far too easily and Slater slid the ball through for Tufan inside the area and he blasted his finish beyond Anthony Patterson and high into the net. Pelkas sent a shot over the bar after good work from Allahyar, and then in the 21st minute Patterson made a brilliant save with his legs to deny Slater after he had been picked out inside the box by Lewie Coyle.
But Sunderland broke immediately upfield to equalise. Michut played the ball out for Clarke to charge forward, he found Amad but the forward could not get a shot away and instead played it back to Clarke who miskicked, but the ball rolled to Gelhardt and he made no mistake from six yards.
Just a minute later, Sunderland went ahead. Amad played the ball to Clarke and he returned it to the Ivory Coast international inside the box, with Amad then steering his finish into the bottom left-hand corner from 12 yards out.
But that lead was shortlived, as Hull got back on terms in the 25th minute. This time Adama Traore won the ball in midfield and played in Pelkas, Patterson came out to narrow the angle and blocked the shot with his body but the rebound came to the unmarked Allahyar and he finished first-time into the empty net.
In the second half, Dan Neil volleyed wide after a free-kick had been cleared only as far as the midfielder on the edge of the box. But Hull went back in front, with Slater capitalising on a bad mistake from Trai Hume.
Hume thought he had done enough to outmuscle Slater and let the ball run out for a goal-kick down the Hull left, but Slater managed to keep it in and was then left on his own to lash his finish beyond Patterson and into the top right-hand corner. Sunderland refused to lie down, however, and they levelled on 72 minutes - albeit with the aid of a soft penalty decision.
Clarke went down in the box under a challenge from Alfie Jones and referee Keith Stroud pointed to the spot, with Amad stepping up to convert, sending his kick beyond Darlow and in off the right-hand post. Sunderland almost threw it away when Luke O'Nien's attempted chest back to Patterson went wrong and Tufan stole in, but his header was blocked by the keeper.
Then at the other end, Hume saw a shot brilliantly saved by Darlow. But Sunderland capped an incredible comeback nine minutes from time with a flowing move that started in their right-back position, and ended with Roberts teeing up Clarke at the far post to place his finish past Darlow into the bottom left-hand corner.
Clarke could have sealed it soon after when Amad put him through on goal, but this time he sent his finish over the bar from inside the box. And that allowed Hull to snatch a point right at the death when substitute Ekwah's rash challenge on Slater gave Tufan the chance to level things up from the spot, and he made no mistake.
How they lined up
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, O'Nien, Batth, Gooch, Michut (Ekwah 75), Neil, Roberts, Amad, Clarke, Gelhardt (Pritchard 75). Subs not used: Bass, Lihadji, Ba, Anderson, Cirkin
Hull City: Darlow, Coyle (Elder 65), Jones, McLoughlin, Greaves, Allahyar (Ebiowei 85), Seri (Longman 85), Slater, Pelkas (Doherty 58), Traore, Tufan. Subs not used: Ingram, Woods, Simons
Booked: Allahyar
Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire)
Attendance: 40,676
READ NEXT:
- Tony Mowbray says Sunderland's summer transfer plans are taking shape - and fans should be excited
- 'You never know,' says Tony Mowbray as he refuses to write-off Sunderland's play-off chances
- Tony Mowbray gives injury update on two key men ahead of Sunderland's game against Hull City
- Tony Mowbray explains when Isaac Lihadji can look forward to his first Sunderland start
- Sunderland's 1973 Road to Wembley relived: Arsenal shot down as 'Messiah' leads Rokermen to final
