Lewis Grabban struck from the penalty to save Sunderland from opening-night embarrassment as they began their Sky Bet Championship campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Derby at the Stadium of Light.
The newly-relegated Black Cats were served a stark reminder of the task that awaits them this season as it took Gary Rowett's Rams just 12 minutes to grab the lead when Bradley Johnson lashed home a loose ball in the box.
Grabban equalised just before the break after Jacob Butterfield was judged to have handled, and while Grabban also hit the bar for Sunderland, his side were fortunate when visiting striker Chris Martin wasted a glorious chance to win it late on.
Sunderland 1-1 Derby County
