Brazilian defender Emerson Thome spared Kevin Phillips' blushes with a late equaliser to rescue a point for Sunderland against Aston Villa.
The visitors had taken a 59th-minute lead through Ian Taylor's header, but the former Chelsea defender struck four minutes from time to snatch a draw.
And that came as a massive relief to Phillips, who had seen a 15th-minute penalty saved by the excellent Peter Schmeichel.
It was the striker's third successive miss from the spot on an afternoon when he nevertheless turned in an individual display which more than deserved a goal.
Villa boss John Gregory opted to leave out Paul Merson and George Boateng in favour of Ian Taylor and Steve Stone, while striker Dion Dublin was recalled.
But the first half unfolded as a duel between arguably the biggest names in either side, Phillips and Schmeichel.
The former Manchester United keeper only once lost his bearings, straying from his line on 11 minutes and almost being caught out by Phillips' dipping volley which dropped wide of his left post.
But other than that, he did not put a foot wrong, denying Phillips after 19 minutes and 39 minutes and seeing another raking effort evade his dive but sail just wide.
But the pick of the bunch came when referee Mike Riley ruled that defender Jlloyd Samuel had pulled back Niall Quinn in the area as he homed in on Phillips' cross.
Phillips, who saw his last penalty saved by Chelsea's Carlo Cudicini, went low to Schmeichel's left, but the keeper guessed correctly.
Julio Arca could do no better in first-half injury-time when he shot straight at the positionally-perfect goalkeeper to sum up a frustrating display by the Wearsiders.
The second-half unfolded in much the same fashion as the first as Sunderland hammered away at the Villa defence, but as the game wore on, there was a distinct lack of players in red and white shirts ready to take the responsibility to go for goal.
That reluctance to pull the trigger cost Sunderland dear seconds later when Steve Stone fed Vassell down the left and he weighted his cross perfectly for Taylor to head past Sorensen.
Sunderland's response was entirely predictable but again Schmeichel remained the dominant figure, keeping out another well-struck Phillips shot, and then getting down well to claim Gavin McCann's 71st-minute strike.
Substitute Gareth Barry whistled a right-foot volley just wide nine minutes from time, but the equaliser arrived five minutes later. Staunton was penalised for an foul on McCann and Arca sent a spiralling cross into the box where Thome climbed highest to head firmly past Schmeichel.
SUNDERLAND: Sorensen, Haas, Gray, Williams, Thome, Arca, McAteer, Reyna (Thirlwell 23), McCann, Quinn, Phillips. Subs Not Used: Macho, Kyle, McCartney, Kilbane. Booked: Thirlwell. Goals: Thome 86.
ASTON VILLA: Schmeichel, Samuel, Wright, Staunton, Mellberg, Kachloul (Barry 67), Hendrie, Taylor, Stone, Vassell, Dublin. Subs Not Used: Boateng, Merson, Enckelman, Hitzlsperger. Booked: Taylor, Vassell, Stone. Goals: Taylor 59.
Refere: M Riley (Leeds)
