Last Updated: Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:25
Stephane Sessegnon's extra-time strike broke Middlesbrough hearts as Sunderland booked an FA Cup fifth round clash with Arsenal with a dramatic 2-1 win.
The Benin international blasted home a 112th-minute winner to send the Barclays Premier League side through after being pushed all the way by their npower Championship neighbours. Jack Colback had given the visitors the upper hand in the fourth round replay with a fine strike, but Lukas Jutkiewicz's first goal for Boro ensured an extra 30 minutes was required.
Middlesbrough defender Seb Hines had Boro's best chance of the first half when his instinctive volley was tipped just over by Simon Mignolet after Jutkiewicz had flicked on Tony McMahon's free-kick.
Colback fired home off the underside of the crossbar three minutes before the break, somewhat against the run of play. And Phil Bardsley came to the rescue shortly afterwards as he cleared McMahon's goal-bound shot off the line.
Boro, to the delight of a bumper home crowd, dragged themselves back into the game in the 57th minute. Jutkiewicz was first to react to a bouncing ball inside the penalty area and dispatched a right-footed volley past the helpless Mignolet.
Sunderland dominated the closing stages but the game went into extra-time and with just eight minutes of that remaining, the Premier League side regained their lead when Sessegnon latched onto a loose ball and drilled a low shot past Jason Steele to put the visitors into the fifth round.
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