Viktor Gyokeres grabs late Coventry equaliser to share points with Sunderland

Viktor Gyokeres grabbed a Coventry equaliser six mintues from time as Sunderland were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw on their return to the Championship after a four-year absence.

The Black Cats looked to be heading for an opening-weekend victory after Jack Clarke’s 12th-minute header opened the scoring at the Stadium of Light.

But, after Coventry spent most of the second half camped in the Sunderland half, Gyokeres drilled a clinical finish into the bottom corner to earn the visitors a point.

Alex Neil’s starting line-up featured 10 of the players that helped Sunderland out of League One last season – centre-half Dan Ballard was the only newcomer to start – and the Black Cats could not have wished for a better start to life in the Championship.

Just 12 minutes had gone when wing-back Lynden Gooch surged past Jake Bidwell and stood up an inviting cross from the right-hand side. Clarke, who turned his previous loan move from Tottenham into a permanent transfer earlier this summer, was perfectly positioned at the back post to nod home.

Sunderland started with pace and purpose, and Clarke almost claimed a second goal midway through the first half as he received the ball from Alex Pritchard and swept in a crisp first-time effort that Simon Moore saved with his legs.

Coventry were rocked by the intensity of their opponents’ opening salvo, but Mark Robins’ side gradually settled into the game and began to create chances of their own as half-time approached.

Gyokeres shanked a shot wide after breaking clear of Danny Batth down the left, and the visitors would have equalised eight minutes before the interval had it not been for a piece of brilliant goalkeeping from Anthony Patterson.

Jonathan Panzo’s long-range strike was