Liam Miller stole a point for Sunderland in the 88th minute of a pulsating North East derby with Middlesbrough which ended 2-2.

The Black Cats had taken the lead in the very first minute of the match when Grant Leadbitter finished coolly after getting on the end of a weak Michael Chopra shot. But goals in each half from Julio Arca and Stewart Downing looked set to give the home side all three points before Miller struck his last-ditch equaliser from the edge of the area.

It was rough justice for Gareth Southgate's side, who had fought back well from conceding the early goal and had coped with losing Tuncay Sanli, Arca and Mido to injury before taking the lead. Middlesbrough had the bulk of possession but ultimately they were punished by goals at the very beginning and end of the 90 minutes.

Leadbitter's opener brought a swift reply by the home side, with Gary O'Neil forcing a smart save from Craig Gordon in the Sunderland goal just a minute after they fell behind. Deadline-day signing O'Neil was making his first start for his new side and it was his cross that set-up Arca's equaliser with just 11 minutes gone.

The Argentinian, once a popular player on Wearside, met O'Neil's cross from the right with a powerful header which slid underneath Gordon.

O'Neil was again involved in the thick of things ten minutes later when his flick in the box appeared to be handled by Sunderland's Danny Higginbotham. Replays confirmed that it clearly hit the defender's hand, but it would have been harsh of the referee to give the penalty. Howard Webb's decision to wave play on was probably the right one.

But Middlesbrough were putting more and more pressure on the Sunderland goal and on 36 minutes they really should have taken the lead. Again the chance fell to O'Neil, who found himself with the ball at his feet with the goal gaping after a Downing cross had deflected into his path. The former Portsmouth player flashed his shot over the bar though, giving Sunderland another let off.

O'Neil and substitute striker Lee Dong-Gook had already gone close for Boro again in the opening minutes of the second half before Downing fired the home side into a 2-1 lead. The England winger picked the ball up outside of the Sunderland penalty area before turning to hit a ferocious right-footed strike past Gordon and into the right corner of the net.

It was a lead that Middlesbrough fully deserved and even when Roy Keane threw on strikers Anthony Stokes and Roy O'Donovan to leave Sunderland with four front men, they hardly looked like finding a way past Mark Schwarzer.

In the end it took a moment of individual brilliance from the other Black Cats' substitute Miller. There appeared to be little danger when the ball fell to Miller on the edge of the area, but the midfielder's fierce left-footed strike flew over Schwarzer to nestle into the top left-hand corner.

Ben Phillips / Eurosport