Crystal Palace came from two goals behind to beat basement side Sunderland 3-2 in Saturday afternoon's pulsating Premier League match at the Stadium of Light.
A Jermain Defoe double had left Sunderland 2-0 ahead on the hour, but Joe Ledley and James McArthur hit back for the visitors, before Christian Benteke registered a 94th-minute winner against the Black Cats.
An even first 45 minutes brought few chances for either team, but Sunderland led at the break courtesy of a close-range finish from Defoe, who was the first player to react inside a crowded box.
Defoe then scored his second on the hour mark after converting a cross from Duncan Watmore, but Palace were back in the match less than a minute later when Ledley found the back of the net with a deflected effort.
The nerves set in as Sunderland chased down their first win of the season, and it was 2-2 in the 76th minute when McArthur headed a Zeki Fryers cross past Jordan Pickford to cancel out the home side's advantage.
It did appear that the points would be shared after an end-to-end second period, but Palace broke Sunderland's hearts in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Benteke's header found a route into the Black Cats net.
The result has left winless Sunderland bottom of the Premier League table on just one point from their six league games this season, while Palace are up to eighth after making it three victories at the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
Matt Law
