CAMERON Borthwick-Jackson's first goal in a Brewers shirt earned Albion a point from a testing encounter with Sunderland, the home side finally grabbing a share of the spoils with a stoppage time equaliser.

It was almost the perfect away performance as Albion soaked up home pressure and then hit their hosts on the counter early in the second half, Borthwick-Jackson finding the corner of the net on the overlap inside the box.

The Brewers looked to have done enough to extend their unbeaten record at the Stadium of Light with all three points but Ross Stewart's last ditch header meant that the points were shared with Albion still never having lost on Wearside.

Looking for a quick response from his team after the disappointing result and performance at Ipswich on Saturday boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink made no fewer than five changes for the trip to the play-off chasing Black Cats.The changes in personnel also prompted a change of shape for the Brewers, a return to a back four seeing John Brayford and Tom Hamer occupy the full back slots, either side of Conor Shaughnessy and Sam Hughes. Four of the changes came in midfield when Jonny Smith and Borthwick-Jackson both returned to the side as wingers with Michael Mancienne and Charlie Lakin tasked with running the Brewers engine room. Joe Powell retained his place in the side with the job of linking the midfield with lone striker Oumar Niasse, handed a first start for the Brewers.

Sunderland started very purposefully and Shaughnessy had to clear his lines nicking the ball off the toe of Jermain Defoe as the veteran striker looked to get onto a flick from Stewart. Jay Matete also tried his luck from distance with Ben Garratt getting everything behind the ball to stop the shot.

After a lengthy delay due to a medical emergency in the crowd the game was suspended after 12 minutes and only restarted some 45 minutes later.

Stewart, the leading marksman for Sunderland this term, cut inside from the left and drilled a low skidding effort towards goal on 18 minutes but again Garratt's positioning was spot on to smother the shot at his near post.

Stewart was denied at closer range on 23 minutes , Lynden Gooch getting in down the right and crossing low but the feet of Garratt prevented him sneaking a low shot in at the near post.

Albion had their first chance on 32 minutes and it was the long throw of Hamer causing problems. Shaughnessy's flick fell for Niasse who turned and tried to fire home only to see his shot blocked and the loose ball came to Smith whose effort was blocked almost on the line at the expense of a corner.

Smith had a glorious chance to put Albion ahead on 35 minutes when Niasse lobbed the ball over the Sunderland defence and the winger was in behind. Driving deep into the box he then got caught in two minds and ended up stubbing a tame effort straight into the hands of Anthony Patterson in the Black Cats goal.

Albion started to apply more pressure and Powell's deflected effort just before the added time board showing ten minutes earned Albion another corner.

Half time: Sunderland 0-0 Burton Albion

Livewire midfielder Alex Pritchard had an early chance to test Garratt with a twenty-five yard free kick but the Brewers stopper was able to watch it sneak past his right hand upright.

Shaughnessy picked up a yellow card for bundling Pritchard over on the touch line as the home side looked to launch an attack on that side.

Albion stunned the home side with the opening goal on 53 minutes and it came from the boot of BORTHWICK-JACKSON. Smith did a lot of the spadework battling in the middle of the pitch and he chose the perfect moment to slip the former MAnchester United man in and he unerringly found the far corner of Patterson's net.

SMith was still looking for a goal himself and it almost came on 57 minutes a jinking run across the edge of the box to work space for a low shot but couldnt quite put it out of the reach of Patterson.

Sunderland sent on Elliot Embleton and he incurred the frustration of the home fans curling a good chance well over the goal. The home support getting frustrated at their team as they looked for an equaliser.

Niasse took his leave of the game on 65 minutes having worked the channels well and causing problems for the Sunderland defence and they now had Christian Saydee to keep an eye on although the youngster was a little enthusiastic with his first challenge, earning himself a yellow card. The Bournemouth loanee then played his part in setting up a chance for Smith but his curling effort was never really troubling the Sunderland keeper.

Saydee managed to ge homself through one on one with the Sunderland keeper on 74 minutes but strtuggling to get the ball out from under his feet he got closed down and although he still got his shot away the keeper spread himself well to block.

Sunderland were cranking up the pressure and Shaughnessy got himself in the way of a dangerous cross to divert it narrowly over his own bar and then as the pressure continued substitute Jack Clarke forced a scrambling save at his near post.

Albion were close to a second when Chapman set Powell through but with Saydee in space to his left he opted to go for goal from 22 yards and fired over.

Carl Winchester twisted and turned on the edge of the box to fire a deflected shot in that rippled the net as it went wide and as added on time began Chapman had a chance to run through on an angle but he was unable to beat Patterson at his near post.

It proved an important miss as Sunderlands grabbed an equaliser three minutes into added on time. Clarke made inroads down the right and when the chance fell for Pritchard to deliver into the middle he found the head of STEWART who calmly headed into the corner of the net.

ALBION: Garratt; Brayford, Shaughnessy, Hughes, Hamer; Smith (Chapman, 69), Mancienne, Lakin, Borthwick-Jackson; Powell; Niasse (Saydee, 65).
Substitutes: Kovar, Ahadme, Rowe, Kokolo, Taylor.

GOALS: SUNDERLAND - Stewart (90+3) ; ALBION - Borthwick-Jackson (53)

Referee: Robert Lewis

Attendance: 30,237