English League Championship/Wolverhampton Wanderers - 1 Sunderland - 1:Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane had to settle for a point each as Sunderland came from behind to claim a draw against Wolves at Molineux last night.
Jemal Johnson netted a spectacular first-half opener after being recalled to the Wolves starting XI following a five-game absence.
But Stephen Elliott capitalised on confusion in the home defence to force home the equaliser in the closing stages.
Before kick-off McCarthy and Keane drew the line under four years' of animosity when the Yorkshireman walked to the away dug-out and shook hands with his opposite number at the centre of a gaggle of photographers.
The game itself caught light in the eighth minute when Jody Craddock's misplaced pass was intercepted by Liam Miller who raced forward and eventually found David Connolly.
Connolly's cutback was cleared by Jamie Clapham against Miller but goalkeeper Matt Murray was quickly off his line to save as Grant Leadbitter tried to lift in the ricochet.
Lewis Gobern then swung over a right-wing free-kick which was met by Craddock's header and palmed away one-handed by goalkeeper Darren Ward.
On the half-hour Karl Henry let fly with a long-range effort which scudded over Ward's crossbar before Connolly missed his kick when close in at the other end.
With five minutes to the break, Craddock met Gobern's corner with a volley which Ward partially saved and Dean Whitehead cleared as the Wolves players appealed that the ball had crossed the line.
But there was no doubt about the home side's opener in the 43rd minute as Johnson bulged the net with his 30-yard strike after picking up a Jay Bothroyd flick-on. Johnson then sprinted half the length of the pitch to slide to his knees in celebration in front of Keane.
Sunderland substitute Tobias Hysen replaced Dwight Yorke, who had been booked in the opening period, in time for the start of the second half which opened with Johnson stabbing wide after a sliced shot from Gobern. And it was Gobern who had the Black Cats defence backpedalling in the 53rd minute when he set off on an intricate dribble which ended with a shot pushed across goal.
Bothroyd stung Ward's palms when he was on target with 60 minutes gone and at the other end Murray was called into action with 73 minutes gone after Hysen latched onto Ross Wallace's pass.
Wolves substitute Leon Clarke, on for Bothroyd, wasted a glorious chance to put the game beyond Sunderland when he allowed Ward to save his tentative effort from close range after a sweeping move.
But after Murray had saved first from Elliott and then Stanislav Varga, the Republic of Ireland international bagged a deflected 81st-minute equaliser after Wolves failed to clear a packed penalty area.
WOLVERHAMPTON: Murray, Little, Breen, Craddock, Clapham, Gobern, Olofinjana, Henry, Jones, Bothroyd (Clarke 63), Johnson (Craig Davies 84). Subs Not Used: Ikeme, Collins, Potter. Booked: Jones. Goals: Johnson 43.
SUNDERLAND: Ward, Whitehead, Collins, Varga, Nyatanga, Miller (Kavanagh 64), Leadbitter, Yorke (Hysen 46), Wallace (Nosworthy 76), Elliott, Connolly. Subs Not Used: Carson, Caldwell. Booked: Yorke, Varga. Goals: Stephen Elliott 80.
Referee: M Pike (Cumbria).
English League, Championship
P W D L F A Pts
Cardiff 18 11 3 4 31 17 36
Preston 18 10 6 2 30 16 36
Birmingham 18 10 4 4 24 16 34
Burnley 18 9 4 5 26 18 31
Derby 18 9 4 5 28 23 31
West Brom 18 8 5 5 31 19 29
Wolverhampton 19 8 4 7 17 22 28
Stoke 18 7 6 5 25 15 27
Southampton 18 7 6 5 24 18 27
Plymouth 18 6 9 3 25 20 27
Coventry 18 8 1 9 18 17 25
Norwich 18 7 4 7 24 30 25
Ipswich 18 7 3 8 29 27 24
Colchester 18 7 3 8 25 24 24
QPR 18 6 6 6 30 30 24
Sunderland 19 7 3 9 25 26 24
Sheff Wed 18 6 5 7 21 25 23
Leicester 18 5 7 6 18 20 22
Luton 18 6 4 8 25 33 22
Crystal Palace 18 6 3 9 21 25 21
Hull 18 4 4 10 14 23 16
Leeds 18 5 1 12 19 36 16
Barnsley 18 4 3 11 22 36 15
Southend 18 2 6 10 16 32 12
