Kaboul celebrates his goal, shortly before being sent off for removing his shirt

By Les Roopanarine

Younes Kaboul struck at the death to earn struggling Portsmouth a point as Sunderland failed to make the most of their chances.

Darren Bent turned home Andy Reid's cross midway through the first half after some fine work by Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson.

But Kaboul prodded home in injury-time following a corner by Jamie O'Hara.

Kaboul celebrated by removing his shirt and was dismissed by referee Steve Bennett for a second bookable offence.

After successive away defeats by Wigan and Fulham, keeping the home fires burning was vital for Sunderland, who remain unbeaten at the Stadium of Light since losing to Chelsea in mid-August.

But although his side preserved that record, Steve Bruce will be bitterly disappointed by Sunderland's failure to hold out for all three points.

In the build-up to the encounter he had identified the clash against relegation-threatened Portsmouth as the most vital game since his summer arrival at the club.

But after a week of intense speculation about Pompey's financial position, Avram Grant's men arrived on Wearside equally determined to build on last weekend's win over Burnley, the first of the Israeli's fledgling tenure.

Under the circumstances a stalemate was perhaps inevitable, although the pattern of the early exchanges hardly suggested any outcome other than a home win.

After an insipid opening spell during which the hosts struggled to fashion chances despite enjoying the bulk of the possession, Henderson brought the game to life by nutmegging Marc Wilson on the right to deliver a far-post cross for Reid.

Reid steered a cushioned volley into the path of Bent, and the Sunderland man drew first blood in the battle of the World Cup hopefuls by guiding a precise left-footed shot beyond England colleague David James.

The Black Cats might have stretched their lead had Bent shown similar composure when Henderson, who had earlier curled a Nyron Nosworthy cut-back narrowly wide, subsequently found him on the edge of the area.

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But Bent, fresh from scoring his 10th Premier League goal of the campaign, had eyes only for goal, and sliced a shot horribly wide rather than playing a return pass to the more favourably positioned youngster.

If Sunderland were struggling to make the most of their chances, Portsmouth were virtually anonymous in attack.

Despite the presence of an extra body in midfield, where Aruna Dindane frequently dropped back to in a bid to contain Sunderland's incisive passing and movement, the second half was four minutes old before Pompey won their first corner.

The visitors impressed more in defence, where Kaboul and Tal Ben-Haim repeatedly excelled in containing the muscular threat of Kenwyne Jones and charging down a series of efforts from Bent.

The second period began in inauspicious style for Pompey when Hermann Hreidarsson was booked by Bennett before a ball had been kicked, apparently for something he had said on leaving the field at the end of the first half.

But Portsmouth went on to improve markedly, enjoying greater possession as Sunderland struggled to build on their first-half momentum.

Pompey survived a scare when Reid clattered the woodwork with a free-kick late on, but their resilience was rewarded in injury time when an O'Hara corner wreaked havoc in the Sunderland six-yard box.

Substitute Frederic Piquionne prodded goalwards and, although his shot was blocked, Kaboul was on hand to poke home from all of three yards and earn bottom-placed Pompey a precious point.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce:

"It feels like a defeat and we're all frustrated and disappointed, because it was probably their only shot on target.

"But we had enough chances and opportunities and we failed to take them.

"It's the worst feeling ever, conceding a goal in the last 10 seconds is never easy.

"At this level we should be better, we have to have enough about ourselves to see the game out."

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant:

"We didn't play well in the first half, but we deserved our equaliser even if it was in the last minute.

"You always need to believe in football, and at half-time we changed, played different and dominated the game.

"Sunderland had a lot of possession in the first half but didn't create many chances, and we did the same in the second.

"I don't know why we need the rule [about removing a shirt being a bookable offence]. When you score in the 93rd minute, sometimes you do these things."

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