An extraordinary error by Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier handed Championship leaders Sunderland a last-gasp draw at the Stadium of Light.
With six minutes of injury time played, the Frenchman somehow allowed an innocuous ball from substitute Alan Browne to slip through his grasp and roll into the net.
It cost Leeds victory after they had looked set to move level on points with the Black Cats at the top as goals either side of half-time from Joel Piroe and Junior Firpo helped them come from behind to lead.
Sunderland, for whom teenager Chris Rigg opened the scoring after nine minutes, are now two points clear of Burnley, while Leeds are a further point behind in third.
Meslier’s mistake capped a thrilling encounter between the rivals, which had promised much and did not disappoint in front of another bumper crowd of 41,769.
Sunderland have been revitalised and reinvigorated under new French head coach Regis Le Bris, while pre-season promotion favourites Leeds are bidding to bounce back after their play-off heartache against Southampton at Wembley in May.
The touchpaper was lit by 17-year-old Rigg. He had scored the winner in the Wear-Tees derby against Middlesbrough here 13 days previously and had the stadium rocking once again.
Jobe Bellingham had already shot over at the end of one good move, before another fine move resulted in the opener.
Right-back Trai Hume got to the line and fired across for left-back Dennis Cirkin arriving at the far post to force a reaction stop from Meslier, but Rigg was on hand to put the loose ball home.
Leeds had been overwhelmed by the home side’s fast start, but they fashioned a terrific 22nd-minute equaliser as Willy Gnonto spotted Piroe’s clever run and delivered the perfect ball which the Dutch striker headed low past Anthony Patterson for his fourth of the season.
It ended Sunderland’s run of clean sheets at home as they became the 92nd and final club in the top four divisions to concede a goal at home this season.
Suddenly the visitors had the momentum and Brenden Aaronson and Firpo got in the way of each other from only six yards out when a goal seemed certain, while Largie Ramazani headed down and over from close range from another gilt-edged chance.
But Sunderland could have gone into the break ahead as Bellingham was twice close to scoring – one effort that Joe Rodon deflected just past the post and a second curling strike wide.
Firpo ends goal drought but Leeds let it slip
However, the visitors were more assertive at the start of the second half and went ahead in the 56th minute when Firpo had time to exchange passes with Gnonto in the area and swept a shot into the far corner past Patterson.
It was only the Dominican Republic defender’s third goal for the club and first since February 2023 when he scored in the Premier League against Southampton – a gap of 56 games.
From there, Leeds gained a degree of control that had proved beyond them in the opening period, but they could not find a third goal to settle the encounter.
Sunderland had struggled and not really threatened Meslier too much until the dramatic and unexpected finale.
Patterson launched a free-kick forward, Bellingham flicked it on and Browne lofted it into the box. That should not have threatened the keeper either, but it somehow spun and squirmed past him into the net, much to his disgust and disbelief.
If Meslier – who played under Le Bris in French side Lorient’s reserve team at the start of his career – had caught the ball, time would have been up.
While the 24-year-old’s team-mates comforted him at the end, it was an error that could yet prove very costly in the promotion stakes come the end of the season.
Leeds head coach Daniel Farke:
“To lose those points in this way is heart-breaking, is horrendous, is so sad and disappointing for our lads.
“I feel for my lads because to this moment they’ve done more or less everything right after such a difficult time.
“To lose two points in the last moment of the game in this way is tough to take, it feels a bit like a loss. Before the game I would have said away to Sunderland [a point] is a good result.
“I’m so proud of how we reacted today, how we played, how we dominated this game in major parts and how rock solid we were in the second half.”
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris:
“We are happy for the final result because I think it was a tough game against a strong team.
“In the end I think we deserved that draw.
“Even if the goal is lucky, for the whole balance of the game, the way we played and the way we adapted our structure it was a good point for us.”
