Late Bardsley goal secures extra-time chance for Black Cats

Nottingham Forest 1 Sunderland 1 (after 90mins, game in extra time)

Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley found the net late on to cancel out Robert Earnshaw’s opener for Nottingham Forest and send their Carling Cup tie into extra time.

The visitors nearly opened the scoring when Djibril Cisse thumped the woodwork in the 24th minute and Dean Whitehead was denied by a fine save from Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith.

Earnshaw broke the deadlock with a superb free-kick with half an hour remaining but Bardsley pulled the Premier League side level with just three minutes left.

The travelling fans then thought their side had found an equaliser when substitute Reid stole in at the far post but his effort hit the side-netting.

Forest substitute Nathan Tyson looked to make an immediate impact when he got ahead of Chimbonda, but the former Spurs right-back produced a last-ditch challenge to deny him a shooting chance.

But Sunderland got their equaliser with just three minutes of normal time remaining.

A Miller shot was parried by Smith to Diouf, who fired back in from an acute angle and Bardsley turned the ball from close range to send the match into extra time.