A last-gasp Patrick Roberts equaliser denied Watford all three points against play-off chasing Sunderland, as headed goals in either half from centre-back partners Christian Kabasele and Ryan Porteous ultimately helped earn a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light.

Skipper-for-the-day Kabasele opened the scoring in the 17th minute with his first of the season, towering above Pierre Ekwah to strike and silence the majority of the 45,000 fans in attendance.

Porteous made it two midway through the second period, but after Luke O’Nien reduced the home side’s deficit in quick reply, the Black Cats eventually earned a share of the spoils at the death when Roberts looped an effort over Daniel Bachmann.

An end to a two-game losing streak keeps Watford 13th in the second-tier standings, on 60 points, with just a home clash against Stoke City to come on Monday May 8 before the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Head Coach Chris Wilder made three changes to the XI that started the narrow defeat at Hull City last time out (Saturday April 22), with Hamza Choudhury, Yáser Asprilla and Keinan Davis coming in for Ismaël Koné, Leandro Bacuna and João Pedro.

The Hornets started the contest brightly - with Ken Sema working his way into space on the left before seeing a cross cleared, inside the opening two minutes - but the first real chance fell to Sunderland, with Bachmann comfortably keeping out an Ekwah shot from 20 yards.

Austria international goalkeeper Bachmann was called into action again moments later to collect a looping cross from the right, and as the hosts gradually grew in confidence, Porteous and Kabasele had to stay tight to keep the lively Joe Gelhardt at bay.

A clumsy foul on Gelhardt earned Choudhury an early yellow card, while gifting the Black Cats a good scoring opportunity deep in away territory, and Amad Diallo went close with the subsequent set-piece though his fizzing effort flew just wide of Bachmann’s left post.

Despite the home pressure the Golden Boys served frequent reminders of their threat at the other end, and after Trai Hume did just enough to stop Davis in his tracks at close range - after more good work from Sema - Kabasele rose highest at the resultant corner kick to head Wilder’s charges in front.

Porteous was soon at the centre of the action as Sunderland went in search of a quick response, with the Scotsman receiving a booking just short of the 20-minute mark for a foul on Gelhardt, before producing a vital interception at the front post to steer a Jack Clarke cross away from danger.

A tame, bouncing Diallo shot from the right of the edge of the area kept Bachmann’s gloves warm at the midway point of the first half, but - in tune with the end-to-end nature of the clash - Ryan Andrews had a go from a similar distance for Watford, ahead of an off-target Asprilla attempt in the 28th minute.

Andrews helped fuel the growing frustration among the home support with a couple of excellently-timed tackles in his own box, but the Mackems nearly got in down the opposite flank when Roberts drove into the area and diverted his low shot across goal marginally wide.

The home backline had to be alert to block a Sema shot three minutes shy of the break, after good link-up play between Ismaïla Sarr and Davis on the counter-attack, and Watford held out with some defending of their own to maintain their slender advantage at referee Gavin Ward’s whistle.

In search of a second goal the visitors burst out of the blocks at the restart, with a deflected Sarr drive from the right causing Anthony Patterson a headache before Davis was caught off-guard at point-blank range.

Sunderland duly fought back and Bachmann was needed at full-stretch to keep out a Hume header in the 52nd minute, with the Northern Ireland international having been picked out unmarked at the back post, from the right-hand side.

Steely defending from the Hornets reduced Sunderland to a smattering of half-chances in the next period of play, with a bobbling Ekwah strike from distance failing to trouble Bachmann, and then a Gelhardt shot being denied by a Choudhury block on the hour.

Porteous joined his defensive partner Kabasele on the scoresheet with little over 20 minutes left, doubling the visitors’ advantage in similar style with a clinical header from an Imrân Louza corner; his second for the club since signing in January.

But the home side were back in the game just seconds later, with former Golden Boy O’Nien sparking a melee in box with a shot that hit the crossbar, before eventually prodding in from six yards to make it 2-1.

Roberts unleashed a tearing effort that needed stopping by Porteous, before Diallo added to his shot tally, as Sunderland went in desperate search of an equaliser with the game’s momentum now seemingly swung in their favour.

The introduction of substitutes Jeremy Ngakia and Wesley Hoedt added to Watford’s defensive prowess in the face of sustained Sunderland attacks, though Clarke should perhaps have done better with his sliced shot close to the 90-minute mark, following a loose Leandro Bacuna clearance.

The addition of seven minutes to the normal 90 roused the home support, and with just two left Roberts picked up the ball on the right before curling the ball into the top left corner, to cruelly snatch a point from Watford’s grasp.