Fabio Borini's stoppage time equaliser secured a late draw for Sunderland against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.
The Black Cats opened the scoring through Dame N'Doye's deflected strike in the 36th minute of the contest.
Connor Wickham responded for Palace midway through the second half with a shot that ricocheted in off the post, before firing the visitors into the lead with a superb volley just six minutes later.
However, Borini popped up in the 90th minute of the contest and drove home a powerful angled shot that ensured the Black Cats took something from the fixture.
MATCH OVERVIEW
Sunderland: 2 (Dame N'Doye 36, Fabio Borini 90')
Crystal Palace: 2 (Connor Wickham 61'/67')
White Hart Lane, London – 39,795
TALKING POINTS
Borini's goal could prove to be invaluable in Sunderland's efforts to avoid relegation this season. The Italian's strike was enough to ensure the Black Cats moved out of the relegation zone for the time being.
Palace are still without a win since December 19 and have plummeted down the Premier League ladder from fifth to 14th during that period of time. Thoughts or being involved in a relegation dog-fight have started to rear their ugly head for Alan Pardew's team and a dramatic turnaround in form is needed to arrest the worrying slide.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Sunderland travel to St Mary's to face Southampton on Saturday, while Crystal Palace host Liverpool at Selhurst Park on Sunday
TWITTER INSIGHT
Disappointing result after a good team performance.. but it feels good to be back on the pitch congrats @ConnorWickham10 too #CPFC
— Bakary Sako (@sakobakary26) March 1, 2016
.@borinifabio29 can't hide his delight after netting his late equaliser - his first goal at the SoL this season! pic.twitter.com/oPFev7jYkE
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) March 1, 2016
Delighted 2 have played 75 mins, thought we was unlucky not 2 bring home 3 pts! The fans were great 2day, safe journey home #cpfc#B2A
— Yannick Bolasie (@YannickBolasie) March 1, 2016
QUOTES CORNER
Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce heaped praise on Fabio Borini for his equaliser:
"The last half hour when Palace scored was disappointing - we lost our shape and our ability to pass to each other. I felt Fabio's wonderful, wonderful goal should have got us a winner today. You won't see anything better than that this season. The Premier League is about goals like that."
Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew believes his side dropped two points:
"It's a game we deserved to win and looked like we had won. A substitute who's fresh hits it in the only place it will go in. But it was very important we didn't lose that game. We really needed that second half performance and we were terrific."
STATS SPECIALS
*Thanks to Opta
4 - Connor Wickham has bagged braces in his last two league games, having scored once in his last 18 PL games before that. Flurry.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 1, 2016
3 - Three of Dame N'Doye's six Premier League goals have been scored against Crystal Palace. Soaring.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 1, 2016
