Sunderland missed out on the chance to close to within a point of the automatic promotion places in the Sky Bet Championship as Nathanael Ogbeta’s 90th-minute strike gave Plymouth a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats looked set for another home win as second-half goals from Wilson Isidor and Trai Hume overturned a Plymouth lead that had been established through an own goal from home goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
However, Ogbeta struck in the final minute to secure Plymouth only a fourth away point of the season.
Plymouth went into the game off the back of a bad week that had seen them suffer a 5-0 home defeat at the hands of Burnley and also lose their star player Morgan Whittaker to Middlesbrough.
However, the visitors more than matched their promotion-chasing opponents and came close when Adam Randell fired in a long-range strike that was saved by Patterson.
Sunderland’s attacking lacked its usual fluency, and it was the 33rd minute before the Black Cats forced Conor Hazard into his first save, with the Plymouth goalkeeper parrying away Dan Neil’s strike.
The visiting shot-stopper was called into action again four minutes before the break, saving low down to his right after Dennis Cirkin met Patrick Roberts’ cross with a diving header.
Cirkin did reasonably well to get his effort on target, but Hardie should have done much better when he was presented with a headed opportunity of his own at the other end.
Mustapha Bundu whipped in a cross, but Hardie somehow glanced a header wide from inside the six-yard box.
Six minutes later, however, and Hardie was heavily involved in the goal that saw Plymouth claim the lead. Chris Mepham’s failure to deal with a cross from the right saw Hardie seize possession close to the byline and, when the striker fired the ball across the box, Patterson deflected it into his own net.
Sunderland would not have expected to be trailing, but they were behind for less than two minutes before parity was restored.
Trai Hume crossed from the right and, after easing himself in front of his marker, Isidor volleyed home his ninth goal of the season.
Sunderland’s second goal came with 18 minutes remaining, and originated from Enzo Le Fee’s free-kick from the left. Luke O’Nien flicked the ball on and, after controlling from close to the penalty spot, Hume fired home.
However, Plymouth grabbed a point with an equaliser in the final minute. The Sunderland defence failed to deal with a ball in from the right, and Ogbeta was able to fire home at the back post.
