Sunderland 2 Leeds United 2: Illan Meslier's howler gives good away performance a bitter late twist

Only goals scored was keeping them off the top of the table, and they were about to end Sunderland's 100 per cent start to the Championship season with a 2-1 win.

In front since Junior Firpo's 56th-minute finish, the visitors were doing a good job of protecting Ilan Meslier and running down the clock.

But with their last throw of the dice – a minimum of six added minutes had initially been signalled – the Black Cats threw a desperate free-kick into the box from just inside their own half and when Alan Browne flicked the ball goalwards, it went through the hapless goalkeeper for a 2-2 draw.

It was an awful error.

For them it was a good result to head into the international break with but it felt like the exact opposite.

it undid all the good work of two Willy Gnonto assists, a great centre-forward's performance by Joel Piroe and a good first outing for the back-up midfield partnership of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell.

Both sides were a little too respectful when ahead of their opponents when in front and it would cost each of them.

One hundred per cent at home in this season's Championship, Sunderland took an early lead but it framed the first half in the wrong way for them.

They were having joy down Leeds' left and when Patrick Roberts played Trai Hume in at the byline his cross deflected to Dennis Cirkin.

Meslier made a brilliant save to push the ball onto a post, but Chris Rig had the space to make his tap-in relatively straight forward.

Starting in a 4-1-4-1 formation, the Black Cats happily fell back into it and challenged Leeds to break them down.

Largie Ramazani had a harmless shot on the turn and Luke O'Nien had to throw himself in the way of a Piroe shot.

Ramazani's strike also hit a defender and when Brenden Aaronson collected the loose ball he flashed it across the six-yard box but no one was there to touch it in.

If Piroe was found wanting there, he quickly showed why for only the second time in this season's Championship he was picked to start.

When Leeds worked the ball to Gnonto on the right, he took a touch and put in a brilliant cross for some who is essentially more of a wide forward than a winger, it was beautiful delivery. Right on the shoulder of the last defender – a video assistant referee would have taken a long time looking at his he was past it – Piroe produced a centre-forward's finish to head in his fourth goal in six games.

And with the pattern of defence versus attack, Leeds pressed on but were unable to find the second goal.

Aaronson and Jayden Bogle both had shots in a scrappy moment in front of the home home goal and Gnonto stooped to head a Bogle cross wide.

It took an excellent run by Cirkin to break Leeds' stranglehold in the 31st minute, stopped by a combination of Joe Rodon and Ao Tanaka.

When Leeds were in possession Tanaka and Joe Rothwell looked a good back-up midfield partnership with a dangerous passing range but as they had at 0-0, Sunderland players were able to get strikes off from the edge of the area in too much space at the end of the half.

Jobe Bellingham's deflected for a corner with Meslier flat-footed, and Wilson Isidor shot wide after carrying the ball within range.

Leeds were getting pinned in at the start of the second half too so Meslier committed modern footballing heresy and did the sensible thing, lumping a goal-kick long.

Piroe went all Lee Chapman to win it, Ramazani carried it forward whilst all manner of red-and-white striped assailants tried to mug him and played in Firpo, bombing forward, playing a one-two with Gnonto and side-footing into the net.

Like their hosts earlier, Leeds were reluctant to risk going for the throat and down the clock as much as referee Tim Robinson allowed but they are built on sturdy defensive foundations and for all they allowed the Wearsiders the ball, Meslier's bodyguards kept him out of the line of fire, Aaronson going closest from a lovely through-ball by late substitute Isaac Schmidt.

But there was still a late twist to come. Of the knife into Leeds’ back, as it turned out.

Sunderland: Patterson; Hume, Mepham, O'Nien, Cirkin; Neil; Roberts (Watson 84), Rigg (Browne 78), Bellingham; Mundle; Isidor.

Unused substitutes: Rusyn, Ba, Moore, Connolly, Aleksic, Hjelde, Johnson.

Leeds United: Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Firpo (Byram 90+3); Tanaka, Rothwell; Gnonto, Aaronson, Ramazani (Schmidt 90+2); Piroe (Joseph 77).

Unused substitutes: Bamford, Darlow, Gelhardt, Debayo, Chambers, Crew.

Referee: T Robinson (Middleton-on-Sea).