DUTCH DESTROYER Brian Brobbey was the Sunderland hero off the bench again to seal this incredible comeback against Bournemouth.
Fresh from his last-ditch equaliser against Arsenal last time out here, the £17.5 summer signing from Ajax burst the Cherries at fortress Stadium of Light.
His winner sparked a party as the Black Cats defied the torrential conditions to stretch their unbeaten home run to seven since promotion.
But Andoni Iraola was left with that horrible feeling of it never rains but pours as his side blew a two-goal lead through Amine Adli and an audacious Tyler Adams strike to lose for the fifth time in eight away.
It was a rollercoaster ride throughout as the rain lashed down in the North East. And Chemsoine Talbi twice came close before the visitors broke the deadlock on seven minutes.
Returning Antoine Semenyo had already had three sniffs down the left, and his tricky hips sent jelly-legged Nordi Mukiele sliding to get away.
TY IS THE LIMIT
Bournemouth star Tyler Adams lobs Sunderland keeper from centre circle
The 25-year-old, who has a host of clubs plotting a £65m move due to a release clause, raced towards the byline and put it on a plate for Evanilson. Somehow, Robin Roefs deflected his effort on to the post, but Adli smashed home the rebound.
The second was all from Sunderland’s own undoing on 15 minutes. Granit Xhaka and Talbi got their wires crossed on a short corner and the Moroccan goalscorer was on it like a shot, cutting out the return to the Black Cats’ captain.
He got a second bite of the cherry with the loose ball, but after skipping past Marcus Tavernier, under-pressure from Adli, he kicked it straight into the path of Adams. The American star charged forward and made a turkey of Roefs, lobbing him from 45 yards on Thanksgiving weekend to double the lead.
Le Bris’ men were on the ropes, Roefs denying Marco Senesi at his near post as the Cherries searched for a third.
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Bournemouth were cruising, but they shot themselves in the foot to hand Enzo Le Fee the chance to get back into it.
Reinildo Mandava stretched his leg across Alex Scott and the midfielder took the bait, clattering the full-back. After a lengthy VAR check, the French midfielder powered the penalty high and straight into the roof of the net.
Mandava headed wide and Le Fee fizzed one into the side-netting as the hosts tried to launch a comeback, but they had to wait until 50 seconds after the restart to draw level.
Traore started it down the right, and after a neat passing sequence, he was fed back by Xhaka. The 30-year-old cut back inside past Adrien Truffert and rifled home inside the near post.
But while the celebrations were still going on in the stands, Bournemouth hit back.
Semenyo was at the heart of it again, gliding through the defence and whipping it low into the danger zone.
Omar Alderete sliced it past the stranded Roefs, but the temptation to help it over the line proved too much for offside Evanilson and Sunderland survived.
It was a game-changing moment. Le Bris decided to go for it and his bravery was rewarded.
On came winger Romaine Mundle and Brobbey and it proved to be a masterstroke.
Six minutes after the change, Le Fee floated a corner towards the near-post and the striker outmuscled Lewis Cook to head home.
Bournemouth frustrations were boiling over as they battled in vain to claw something back. A host of bookings, including for Semenyo and Senesi, who will now be suspended for Tuesday’s clash with Everton.
And things threatened to boil over when a cynical challenge from David Brooks
Led to a huge melee between both sets of players. That earned himself and Nordi Mukiele a caution each.
But for all of Bournemouth’s late huffing and puffing, Tavernier’s thunderous strike off the crossbar was the closest they came.
And their disappointing afternoon was summed up in additional time when Cook received a straight red for an elbow to the chops off Sadiki.
Back to the drawing board for Iraola, but for Sunderland, with trips to Liverpool and Manchester City coming up, a huge three points.=
