Record singing Asamoah Gyan got Sunderland out of jail with a last-gasp equaliser to deny Newcastle a derby double.

Magpies skipper Kevin Nolan looked to have won the game with his audacious 52nd-minute strike, but with the clock having ticked into the fourth minute of injury time, Gyan almost involuntarily nudged the ball over the line after keeper Steve Harper could only parry Phil Bardsleys shot to snatch a point his side barely deserved.

Newcastle left the Stadium of Light bemoaning the loss of two points which were firmly within their grasp for all but a few seconds of a tense encounter despite the absence of Andy Carroll, Cheik Tiote and Steven Taylor, three of the clubs most impressive performers this season.

They dominated the game after Nolans strike, his 10th of the season - the first time he has reached double figures in the Barclays Premier League - and headed off on the short trip back to Tyneside kicking themselves.

In the long run a return of four points from a possible six against their arch-rivals will be more than satisfactory, and a face-saving draw will do little to quell the disappointment for the bulk of a crowd of 47,864.