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Kenwyne Jones struck his seventh goal of the season late on to rescue a point for Sunderland and make it nine matches without a victory for Middlesbrough.

Afonso Alves’s first league goal since October looked to have earned Boro the win, the Brazilian linking up well with Stewart Downing before rifling in.

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But Jones slid in to score from David Healy’s superb cross to snatch a draw.

The Black Cats could even have gone on to win it from Carlos Edwards’s header, but Adam Johnson cleared off the line.

Defeat would have been harsh on Boro, though, despite a grandstand finish from Sunderland that was in marked contrast to the 80 minutes of football that had preceded it.

A draw was just about the right result, although Downing more than most could feel aggrieved he wasn’t on the winning side after an all-action display that underlined his commitment to the Boro cause despite having a transfer request denied by the club only this week.

The winger has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham for over a fortnight but, if his celebration following Alves’s strike is anything to go by, the 24-year-old is unlikely to be going anywhere during the January transfer window.

LAST SEASON’S CORRESPONDING GAME

Middlesbrough 2-2 Sunderland

22 September 2007 – Ref: Howard Webb
Middlesbrough scorers: Arca 15, Downing 67
Sunderland scorers: Leadbitter 2, Miller 89

THIS SEASON’S REVERSE FIXTURE

Sunderland 2-0 Middlesbrough

20 September 2008 – Ref: Howard Webb
Sunderland scorers: Chopra 81, 90