Mitrovic ends Newcastle's wretched streak in Sunderland draw
REUTERS - Newcastle United 1 Sunderland 1
Aleksandar Mitrovic headed a late equaliser to end Newcastle's miserable losing run against fiercest neighbours and rivals Sunderland but the 1-1 draw still leaves both teams deep in the Premier League relegation mire.
The Serb soared at the far post to nod Georginio Wijnaldum's 79th-minute chipped cross back into the opposite corner just as the home fans at St James' Park were preparing for a seventh straight defeat at the hands of the Black Cats.
Sunderland had gone ahead a minute before halftime when Jermain Defoe volleyed in his 12th goal of the season and they had held out under plenty of Newcastle second-half pressure, even clearing off the line through Yann M'Vila soon after the break.
Described as one of the most important of the 156 Tyne-Wear derbies with relegation this season expected to cost 100 million pounds ($144.79 million), the draw pleased neither Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce nor his old sparring partner, Newcastle's new boss Rafa Benitez, with both sides still left in the relegation zone.
($1 = 0.6907 pounds)
(Reporting by Ian Chadband; editing by Toby Davis)