This performance was a million miles away from the shambles against Watford and, in truth Rangers were unlucky not to take all three points, whilst at the same time being lucky to get anything at all. A showing like this can only give the players' confidence.

Olly had to make changes after Monday night’s farce, if only to prevent a public lynching. Day remained in goal behind a back four of Bignot, Gnohere, Rose and Padula. Ainsworth was restored on the right wing alongside Johnson, the returning Bean and Rowlands. Furlong resumed his partnership with Kevin Gallen in attack. Perhaps the best sight for Rangers fans though was a player not even in the sixteen. Dan Shittu joined in the warm up and it was great to see the big fella back and not a moment too soon!

The game had been a scrappy affair to start off with as both teams showed their hand early. From Sunderland’s first attack they smashed a sixty yard diagonal ball at Kevin Kyle, whilst we looked to get the ball into the chest of Furs and Gallen to try and build off of them. The pattern of play had been set and there wasn’t much deviation from it for the full ninety four minutes.

The Stadium of Light went into shock after just twelve minutes when Paul Furlong scored an absolute stunner. Furs managed to win the ball just inside his own half and turned toward goal. He had Gallen in support and as he neared the area Gallen moved wide to make an angle for the pass. Furs didn’t use him though and instead used the space to send a searing left footed thunderbolt past the despairing Thomas Myhre and into the top corner. It was a breathtaking goal from the veteran hitman and one that will certainly be in the running for goal of the season.

It was very much backs to the wall stuff now though as Sunderland poured forward to try and get a goal back. Kyle and Stewart were combining well and Rose and Gnohere seemed to be struggling to cope. Kyle had initially been pulling onto Rose but had got little change from him; as soon as he switched to Arthur he won every header. That can’t be right, can it? The impressive Julio Arca was having a rare old battle with Ainsworth and the rock and roll winger was getting run up and down the line by the diminutive Argentine.

The Sunderland equaliser came just after the half hour mark and showed the quality of Marcus Stewart. John Oster launched a fifty yard cross field ball and Stewart killed it with his first touch and tucked it away with his second to bring the Black Cats back on level terms. In truth it was no more than they deserved having put us under the cosh from the moment we scored. It was now a question of how we would respond to conceding with defensive confidence already brittle.

Rangers should have had a penalty five minutes after Stewart’s goal. An almighty scramble was going on in the area and a Furlong shot was blocked into the path of Gallen. You could almost see “goal” written across his face as he pulled his leg back to steer the ball into the massive gap to Myhre’s left. As he did so his shooting foot was kicked, sending his shot screwing wide. Referee Pike ignored his pleas, just as he had done from an earlier handball shout. It was clear that we were going to get nothing from this fool.

Undeterred by the lack of assistance from the official Rangers continued to push. Furlong and Gallen both managed to break past the whinging old woman Gary Breen but Furs blasted over and Gallen could only find the side netting. Half time probably came at a bad time for Rangers as they were on top at this point. As soon as the second half started it was clear that this had changed as Day found his goal being peppered from all angles.

Day saved low to his right to deny a long range Arca effort and he had to make a good save minutes later when Liam Lawrence, the man that blew Mansfield’s play off last season, saw a deflected cross loop toward goal. Daisy back pedalled and tipped the ball over the top.

The pressure coming from Sunderland now was intense and it wasn’t being helped by Clarence the Cross Eyed Lino’s inability to see even the most blatant offsides. Time and again Kevin Kyle, surely the slowest man in the pro game today, lumbered into offside positions to receive the ball, it was injury time before he was flagged for one.

It was looking as though it was a case of when Sunderland would score again rather than if, when Rangers scored their second fabulous goal of the game. Furlong received the ball up on halfway and turned before sweeping a great ball into the path of Rowlands. He had been playing fairly deep and not running at people for most of the game but suddenly he charged at Mr Sunderland 2004 - Stephen Wright before cutting past him and ramming the ball into the roof of the net. The ground was like a mausoleum as the Mackems sat there stunned.

Still the chances came for Rangers. Gareth Ainsworth took advantage of some lax Sunderland defending and forced Myhre into a smart save at his near post. From the resulting Gallen corner Matthew Rose stole into the box unmarked for a free header but could only send it wide with the Sunderland defence spectating. Ainsworth was soon replaced by Lee Cook having run himself to water for the cause. Cookie showed some nice touches but they were merely releasing pressure as Sunderland cranked it up a gear and went looking for their second equaliser.

Holloway had now thrown Santos and Forbes into the fray to try and repel some of the incessant pressure. The clock was ticking over to ninety minutes when the dam finally burst and Sunderland grabbed the latest of equalisers. Sean Thornton swung over a deep corner and Scottish international Steven Caldwell jumped with Santos at the far post. His fine downward header was too powerful for Day and he could only push it inside the post. There was a lot of criticism of Santos at the time for his defending but having now seen the replay there was little he could have done such was the force of Caldwell’s run and jump. More questions could be asked of Day’s efforts to keep it out as he maybe could have been stronger in the wrist.

Santos made amends just a few moments later when a ball was swung deep into the six yard box. It looked for all the world that the Sunderland attack would tuck it away only for Santos to swoop in and produce a quite brilliant clearance. Almost immediately the ball went up to halfway and Gallen held his man off well before sending the ball into the path of Rowlands for a clear run on goal. That was enough for Pike though and he quickly pulled play back to give Rangers the freekick and avoid upsetting the home fans by giving us a decision when we needed one. Gallen did his pieces at the official but he waved away the protests with the arrogance we have now come to expect from officials at this level.

Even though we conceded a last minute equaliser it is hard to be anything but delighted with a point at a ground that most, including me, thought we would be soundly beaten at. The spirit that the players showed was a marked contrast to the shambolic capitulation we saw at Watford on Monday. They played with pride, passion, heart and when they needed to, no little skill. We scored two wonderful goals and on another day, against a lesser side as Sunderland, we would probably have taken the spoils. The Black Cats are a big, strong, well organised team with threats all over the pitch. They have a left back in Arca who is better going forward than most of the left wingers in this division and in Stewart and Kyle they have a real little and large front pair that will score plenty this season.

If we can show this level of performance against Derby on Saturday I fancy us to pick up our first win of the season. It will be no easy task though as Derby registered their first win against Ipswich yesterday and will come to us full of confidence. I have also heard on the grapevine that their keeper isn’t bad…

simon@qprnet.com