IF supporters of the England national side think they know all about penalty shoot-out misery, they should try following Sunderland.

After missing out on last season's play-off final because of their failure from the penalty spot, the Black Cats crashed out of this year's Carling Cup following more spot-kick despair at the end of a pulsating 3-3 draw with Crewe.

In a particularly harrowing reminder of May's play-off defeat by Crystal Palace, Sunderland again paid the price for conceding a last-gasp equaliser.

For Palace's Darren Powell read Crewe's Stephen Foster as the centre-half headed home from close range in the penultimate minute of extra-time.

The spot-kicks got off to the worst possible start when Stephen Caldwell crashed his penalty against the bar, and when fellow defender Neill Collins saw his tame effort saved with the score at 3-2, the writing was on the wall.

Substitute Mark Rivers steadied himself to beat Thomas Myhre and, in the process, ruined a night that had looked like being the Chris Brown Show.

Brown has not had the most memorable of fortnights after almost being thrown out of the Stadium of Light following a shooting incident, but he repaid his club's faith with an impressive showing.

The 19-year-old was given a fine, a written warning and a dose of community service after police caught him firing pellets from an airgun. But with Marcus Stewart and Stephen Elliott carrying minor knocks, Mick McCarthy handed him a surprise debut.

The youngster made an instant impression as a makeshift Sunderland side twice came from behind.

Middlesbrough proved how valuable the Carling Cup could be last season but, in McCarthy's mind at least, the competition seems to have lost its fizz in comparison to the Coca-Cola Championship.

With a crucial Friday night visit to Leeds United looming, Caldwell was the only Sunderland player to have started last weekend's 3-1 win over Preston and, as a result, the visitors struggled to settle.

Ben Clark lashed a second-minute half-volley over the crossbar, but McCarthy's side spent most of the opening quarter of an hour on the back foot as Crewe twice went close.

Justin Cochrane fired narrowly over the crossbar after an intelligent pull-back from Steve Jones, while only Ashton will know how he failed to score from little more than a yard in the 12th minute.

Sunderland's defenders were all at sea after Kenny Lunt headed David Vaughan's corner across the face of goal, but Ashton somehow contrived to miss the ball with the goal at his mercy.

McCarthy has made no secret of his admiration of the Crewe striker and, while that miss was a rare aberration, Ashton's aerial ability played a key role in the home side's 19th-minute opener.

The frontman flicked goalkeeper Ben Williams' long clearance into the path of Jones and, after outpacing both Caldwell and Collins, Ashton's strike partner lobbed a delicate half-volley over the advancing Myhre.

The Norwegian could do little about Jones' measured finish, but he kept Sunderland in the game seven minutes later by turning Ashton's low drive around the post after his defenders had looked in vain for an offside flag.

The Black Cats' own attacking efforts were far more sporadic, with both John Oster and wantaway midfielder Sean Thornton failing to press their claims.

But, after Jones had forced another good save from Myhre, Sunderland's first attempt on target saw them level the game.

Liam Lawrence powered outside Mark Roberts on the right touchline, and Brown was on hand to plant a powerful header beyond Williams from eight yards.

The physical striker had barely had a look at the ball before that, but his composed finish will have reminded McCarthy that Kevin Kyle is not the only targetman on his books.

Brown was forced to plough a lone furrow for much of the game, a marked contrast to what was happening at the other end, where Ashton and Jones continued to benefit from each other's company.

The former shot narrowly over the top five minutes after the interval, while the latter fired straight at Myhre after surging down the inside left channel less than 60 seconds later.

With the game in the balance, Sunderland gradually began to commit more players into attack and Clark, who is on the verge of a move to North-East neighbours Hartlepool, broke out of his holding role to steer a delicate half-volley narrowly over the top.

But the gaps continued to appear at the other end and, in the 64th minute, Caldwell and Collins were again punished for their lack of understanding.

Lunt's through-ball carved the centre-halves wide open and Ashton showed commendable composure to calmly round Myhre before rolling the ball into an empty net.

The previously anonymous Thornton almost dragged the visitors level for a second time with a stinging volley that crashed against the crossbar but, with time running out, Brown's second gave McCarthy's men a lifeline.

Lawrence produced another dangerous ball from the right and, after bursting in front of his marker, Brown stabbed home from inside the six-yard box.

The teenager almost helped Sunderland win the game in the penultimate minute of normal time but, after his cut-back from the byline fell to substitute Stephen Elliott, Saturday's two-goal hero could only make the Crewe crossbar rattle for a second time.

Vaughan struck Sunderland's bar in the third minute of extra-time, but the visitors enjoyed the better of the extra half-hour and took the lead for the first time in the 103rd minute.

Brown turned provider as his slick pass played in Elliott for a precise drive that flew across Williams and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

That looked to be that, but there was to be a final twist in the tale. With the clock ticking onto 119 minutes, Foster stooped to head home from six yards and force the all too inevitable penalties