Boro 1 Sunderland 2 AET

Middlesbrough 1 Sunderland 2 After Extra Time

South Shields-born Curtis Main was given a full debut in a Boro side which included seven players born or brought up in the North East.

Julia Arca returned to face his first English club in his first game back from suspension following his sending-off at Coventry.

Boro showed two changes to the side that  drew with Palace, Arca coming in for Faris Haroun, who missed out with hamstring problems, while Main replaced Marvin Emnes, who was on the bench, also suffering with hamstring problems.

The Sunderland side showed one change from the line up that won at a snowy Britannia Stadium on Saturday. David Meyler dropped to the bench, replaced by Fraizer Campbell, scorer of the Black Cats' goal 10 days ago.

The first effort in an energetic start came from Seb Larsson as he curled a free-kick from a few yards up from the right-hand edge of the penalty area towards Jason Steele's bottom right-hand corner. The handling of the Boro goalkeeper was sound, as it was a few minutes later when dealing with a low cross whipped in from the left.

A lively game continued to offer up chances. Arca was the next to have a go, an awkward shot from 22 yards grabbed at the second attempt by Simon Mignolet.

Tony McMahon set off on a run down the right deep inside the Sunderland half and his low cross was met by Main, whose shot from the edge of the area carried direction but not enough power.

A long ball out of Boro's defence was met with a deft touch from Lukas Jutkiewicz, but support  wasn't forthcoming.

This was an altogether different event on many levels, conditions, opposition and atmosphere, compared with the Palace game here on Saturday.

Sunderland won two corners in quick succession as Boro's defence 'looked' quiet.

Back came Boro, good refereeing from Mr Taylor pulling play back for a free-kick following a good passage of play the penultimate part of which was a foul on McMahon.

It was his free-kick, with half-an-hour played, flicked on by Jutkiewicz, which fell to Seb Hines inside the Sunderland penalty area, a shot from the defender forcing Mignolet into a fingertip save.

As the game swung to the other end Michael Turner, up supporting an attack, shot from the right-hand edge of the area, his effort was deflected wide.

The next time they pressed, Sunderland scored.

With 41 minutes played a long ball was headed down by Campbell and Jack Colback was allowed too much time to control and smash into the top right-hand corner from 16 yards. It was a good finish but hard on Boro.

The response from Mowbray's men was good, McMahon saw a low shot cleared of the line by Phil Bardsley and Mignolet was at full stretch to tip away a low curler from Main from the D.

Half-time: Middlesbrough 0 Sunderland 1

There was a positive response from Boro at the start of the second half, without putting Mignolet under any pressure.

Ironically, though, Boro's equaliser came after a sustained period of Sunderland pressure.

Stretched but standing firm, Boro hit back to draw level with 57 minutes played. Main did really well to apply pressure when the ball was played into the Sunderland penalty area. As a result a clearing header fell to Lukas Jutkiewicz, who drilled home his first Boro goal low from a central position 12 yards out.

The goal came just minutes after Turner was inches over with a close-range header. On such events the outcome of a match can turn.

The Sunderland fans looked for a response and got one when Craig Gardner shot low from 25 yards, but Steele dealt well with an awkward effort which just needed pushing away.

Now end-to-end, this was another absorbing cup-tie and Sunderland  very nearly regained the lead only for a vicious, low, deflected 22-yard Bardsley shot to fly through a crowded box and thud back off Steele's right-hand post.

Referee Taylor annoyed the home fans when failing to apply what could have been a decisive advantage, stopping a break in full flight to pull the game back for a Boro free-kick. In fairness to the referee, he acknowledged his mistake.

A double change saw Arca and Jutkiewicz replaced by Adam Reach and Richard Smallwood, meaning there were now eight Academy graduated on the pitch, plus Main from the development squad.

With both sides going for it there was a nervy end to the 90 minutes, with Boro's last half-chance created by Reach, who delivered an excellent cross from the left which flew low and untouched through the Sunderland penalty area.

90 Minutes: Middlesbrough 1 Sunderland 1

Sunderland started the better in the opening period of extra-time and missed a good chance to edge in front when Gardner headed over from a right-wing free-kick.

Boro dug in, but there were tired legs on both sides and the Gardner chance apart, there wasn't a lot of goalmouth action. That was until the final minute of the half when Boro worked the ball well, Hoyte eventually released away down the right. Skipping past a challenge he swing over a low cross which McMahon fired well over from 16 yards - it was a chance.

Half-time: Middlesbrough 1 Sunderland 1

Stretched and tired Boro dug deeper, but Emnes' touch was missing and Sunderland had the pace and ability to break quickly, and that was how their winning goal came about.

With 112 minutes played McMahon attempted a long diagonal which was easily cut out. The ball was worked quickly forward, substitute Connor Whickham caused problems inside the Boro penalty area and Stephane Sessegnon cracked home from 14 yards.

In the final minute of normal time in extra-time the ball fell to Reach and for a fleeting moment it looked like a rasping left-footed drive was going to work Mignolet, but it whistled just over the bar.

Such was the effort Boro had put in, they were given rich applause as they left the pitch.

Scorers: Colback 41, Jutkiewicz 57, Sessegnon 112.

Middlesbrough: Steele; Hoyte, Bates (Capt), Hines, Bennett, McMahon, Williams, Thomson (Smallwood 69), Arca (Reach 78), Main, Jutkiewicz (Emnes 78). Subs Ripley (gk); McManus, Reach, Martin, Emnes, Ogbeche.
Order of subs. 1) Arca 2) Emnes

Sunderland: Mignolet; Bardsley, Turner, O'Shea (Capt), Larsson (Elmohamady 122), Gardner, Richardson, Colback, Sessegnon (Meyler 116), Campbell (Whickham 87), McClean. Subs Westwood (gk); Reed, Ji, Lynch.

Referee: Anthony Taylor, Greater Manchester.

Bookings
Middlesbrough: None

Sunderland: None

Attendance: 26,707 (4,253 Sunderland)

Conditions: Clear and cold with a slight breeze

Website Boro Man of the Match: Curtis Main