Sunderland secured a last-gasp point in a pulsating Championship encounter against Leeds United on Friday night.
Sunderland began the night top of the Championship table after collecting six wins from eight matches while Leeds were trailing them by three points.
Regis Le Bris’ men got off to the best start possible when Chris Rigg fired Sunderland in front inside nine minutes.
The visitors then quickly responded as Joel Piroe equalised before Junior Firpo put the Whites in front just after halftime.
That was how the score remained until the very last minute as Illan Meslier made a huge blunder after remarkably spilling the ball into his own net. Sunderland midfielder Alan Browne claimed the goal at full-time while the Black Cats were satisfied with a point.
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On the balance of play, the hosts perhaps deserved a point and Rigg felt it was the Sunderland fans who spurred his team on in the dying embers.
The result wasn’t the only positive for Black Cats, who remain top of the Championship, as Le Bris offered a promising injury update post-match.
Sunderland were without Eliezer Mayenda for the match as he suffered from a minor muscle problem while centre-back Dan Ballard is still recovering from an ankle issue.
That duo could be in contention to play after the next international break against Hull City, along with midfielder Milan Aleksic, who the Frenchman supplied positive comments on.
“For Milan, that is really the case as well,” Le Bris said via the Sunderland echo. “Hopefully, he will be playing with his national team and that will give him time to develop and grow.
“He also needs to find a link with the team here because it is a new experience and hopefully we will have two, three or four more players back for the team soon. That will be important for the squad.”
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Sunderland pass the first huge test of the Championship season
Sunderland have made a promising start to the Championship season with six wins, one draw and two defeats from their matches.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  SunderlandSunderland | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 19 |
| 2 |  BurnleyBurnley | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 17 |
| 3 |  LeedsLeeds | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 16 |
| 4 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| 5 |  West BromWest Brom | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 16 |
| 6 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 15 |
At this current stage, it’s difficult to say who will be challenging for the automatic promotion spots but on recent evidence, the Black Cats could have a huge shout.
They’ve overcome several challenges so far, and their latest draw against Leeds shows they’re capable of mixing it with the division’s best.
It’s a result that will give Le Bris confidence to kick on after the international break and cement their place towards the summit of the table.
Meanwhile, the likes of Ballard and Mayenda returning from injury will also be a huge boost to their chances, with Le Bris set to welcome back two important players.