Sunderland 1-1 Bristol City: Robins strike late from the spot to frustrate Black Cats

Jack Clarke's third goal in two games put Sunderland in front against Bristol City

Nahki Wells' penalty in added time rescued a point for Bristol City at Sunderland and took their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions

The Robins were trailing to Jack Clarke's superb strike but the visitors were awarded their first spot kick for a remarkable 469 days when Jay Dasilva burst into the box and was rugby-tackled by a stumbling Alex Hume.

Wells beat Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson, who brilliantly saved a penalty at QPR in midweek, to keep his side's strong run of form going and deny the Black Cats just as they seemed set to rack up three consecutive league wins for the first time this season.

Clarke's fifth goal in his last six games seemed to have done the trick for Sunderland.

The winger scored twice in midweek as his team won 3-0 at Loftus Road, and his sweet strike looked like adding another three points.

Patterson was again instrumental in Sunderland's point, turning Anis Mehmeti's shot on to the post, with the game poised at 0-0 in the first half.

Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson was in charge of the Robins for the 100th time but their late joy was tempered by the blow of having Rob Atkinson stretchered off with an apparent knee injury after just 15 minutes.

Both teams had gone into the game in form, with Sunderland aiming looking for their third win in a week, while the Robins have pulled away from the relegation zone with an unbeaten run that stretches back to Boxing Day and has seen them reach the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The visitors gave as good as they got in the first half and fashioned the best chance when Mehmeti combined with Sam Bell and Mark Sykes to unleash a shot that was brilliantly saved by Patterson.

Joe Gelhardt's miserable run in front of goal saw him extend his goal drought to 30 senior games for Sunderland and Leeds, but he can at least claim an assist in the Wearsiders' goal.

He fed Clarke on the left and the in-form winger teased defender George Tanner, cut inside and rifled a fine strike into the far corner for his ninth goal of the season in all competitions.

Sunderland threatened to make the points safe when Amad Diallo danced through the heart of the Robins' defence but a well-timed tackle from Cameron Pring denied the on-loan Manchester United man and set up Wells to convert City's first penalty since November 6, 2021.

Sunderland head coach Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Newcastle:

"We played against a decent team - young, athletic and overall we have to say well done to them they stuck in there and got a point.

"It was their 11th game unbeaten, so we knew it was going to be tough. They had spells in the game when they gave us problems but I thought we were going to score a second goal but it didn't come.

"We got sucker-punched at the end with the penalty."

Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson told BBC Radio Bristol:

"It was a tough game, a really good game of football, between two really young, promising teams. As the away side we showed a lot of courage to play our game against a good footballing side.

"We created good opportunities and it would have been a travesty had we not got at least a point out of the game. I believe we were the better side.

On the penalty: "Our players showed a bit of nous out there. Mark Sykes picked the ball up and we wanted Nahki to take it, but Sykesy was basically saying to him 'You prepare yourself and I'll take any eye contact that comes my way'.

"The players were calm enough to be able to deal with it out there. It's quite ironic that an event we have not had for 469 days is the event that gets us some reward from our efforts."