England midfielder Gavin McCann ensured that Sunderland boss Peter Reid was not left crying into his beer after his 250th league game in charge with a late equaliser.

McCann forced home substitute Danny Dichio's shot after Villa keeper David James had failed to hold a Stefan Schwarz free-kick, but the visitors' keeper redeemed himself with a point-blank injury time save to deny Dichio a late winner.

Indeed, the game ended in controversy as Sunderland had what would have been the decisive strike ruled out for a foul on James a split-second before Dichio thumped the ball into the net, but referee Steve Lodge, rightly or wrongly, had already blown his whistle, much to the fury of the home fans.

Villa's point came courtesy of Julian Joachim's 51st-minute opener, but they were forced to defend deep for long periods as the Wearsiders, robbed of the services of Niall Quinn through injury and Kevin Phillips through suspension, threw everything they had at them.

Don Hutchison and Michael Gray returned from suspension for Sunderland as the Scottish international pushed up alongside Quinn in attack with Phillips banned, while Gray replaced Darren Williams.

Villa boss John Gregory left struggling striker Juan Pablo Angel on the bench after 349 minutes of football without a goal in England, with Dion Dublin and Joachim asked to lead the fight up front.

There was a change in midfield too where Lee Hendrie returned to the starting line-up in place of Dutchman George Boateng.

Much of Sunderland's success in recent seasons has been based on the form of their frontline strikers, and Reid's philosophy of getting the ball into his main men is a simple but effective one.

Phillips may have been missing, but Quinn was in formidable form as the first-half unfolded, and with Hutchison filling in admirably alongside him, the omens were good.

Quinn gave Turkish international Alpay a torrid time in the early stages, forcing the defender to foul him so often that he had picked up a yellow card by the time 28 minutes had elapsed.

The Irishman had already rasped a fourth-minute shot past James's left post after the keeper had made a hash of a clearance when he played John Oster in on goal from Jody Craddock's pass, but Gareth Barry was on hand to intervene.

Hutchison tested James with a driven 20-yard free-kick on 28 minutes after dusting himself off from Alpay's foul, and the makeshift striker was guilty of a bad miss in front of goal on 33 minutes after the keeper had fumbled McCann's long-range effort.

But it was then that the home side were dealt a savage blow when Quinn, who has been struggling with a back injury for weeks, was again forced from the field.

Dichio emerged to replace the Irishman, but there was no avoiding the fact that the Wearsiders had been diminished by the loss of their most effective frontman.

In the meantime, the visitors had finally started to force their way into the game with Paul Merson and Hendrie finding their feet in the middle of the park, but it was Dublin who created his side's best chance of the half four minutes from the break when he played Joachim in over the top, but the pacy striker could not force the ball past Thomas Sorensen.

McCann whistled a left-foot shot just wide five minutes after the restart as Sunderland went in search for the opening goal, but Villa had grown in confidence after holding their opponents for 45 minutes, and it was they who broke the deadlock a minute later.

James's towering clearance allowed Hendrie to put Thome under pressure, and when the Brazilian faltered, Joachim stepped in to hammer a shot on the turn past Sorensen.

The Wearsiders opted for a route one approach in a bid to claw back the deficit, and although they were aided in part by some eccentric goalkeeping from the Villa number one, clear-cut chances were few and far between.

However, Hutchison went within inches of an equaliser on the hour after Steve Stone fouled him wide on the left and then compounded the error by talking his way into the book and the ball into the penalty area.

The former Everton midfielder opted to shoot from a narrow angle and was unfortunate to see the ball come back off the crossbar and away to safety.

Merson mesmerised Thome with a mazy run a minute later, but could not get past Jody Craddock on the edge of the box, and it was the home side who started to turn the screw as time ran out.

James escaped with another fumble on 70 minutes when his defenders managed to scramble the ball to relative safety, and the keeper recovered in time to save Schwarz's follow-up.

Villa could have sealed victory 16 minutes from time when Dublin sent a shot just wide after Hendrie had beaten the offside trap, but it was a red and white onslaught which built to a crescendo as the minutes ticked away.

Arca tested James with a curling free-kick in the 80th-minute, but the Black Cats were level three minutes later when James could only parry Schwarz's blistering free-kick and McCann turned Dichio's follow-up in at the far post.

Merson passed up a good opportunity to restore the visitors' lead three minutes from time when he skied his shot, but James had to produce a superb late save from Hutchison to secure the draw.

But the home side thought they had won it at the death when Dichio struck, only for Mr Lodge's upraised arm to end their celebrations.