Sunderland had to come from behind to get a draw in Cork tonight - but it was Liam Miller who got the equaliser on his return to his home town as our pre-season plans continued.

Roy Keane shuffled his pack, naming youngster Michael Kay out of position as a left back, while Grant Leadbitter was similarly playing out of position, starting on the left wing. Russell Anderson made his first appearance for Sunderland, partnering Danny Collins in defence, as Greg Halford was the only player that kept his place in the starting XI from the side that beat Bohemians on Saturday. Cork City named former Sunderland midfielder Colin Healy in midfield, as he marked his first month playing for City.

Stern John turned and put a shot wide of goal inside the opening two minutes when the ball fell to him inside the area after it pinged around the penalty box during our first attack forward. Minutes later, Liam Miller had to put in a challenge to stop Kearney from having a shot on goal, only for Darragh Ryan to get to the loose ball and put an effort wide of Darren Ward's left post. The game was largely played in midfield as Sunderland struggled to get the ball wide, but on a rare trip forward, Michael Kay scuffed a shot well off target with his left foot after 18 minutes.

Darren Ward had to hoof the ball into touch after a through ball from Admir Softic threatened to find Kearney through on goal, but little came of the resulting throw in, while David Connolly's attempt to latch onto a low cross from Greg Halford resulted in a goal kick, after the ball ricocheted off of a Cork defender and then off Connolly before going out. In betweean all of that, former Sunderland man Healy put a shot wide on 24 minutes, as both sides struggled to gain any form of dominance in the game.

Stern John blasted another shot over the bar on 35 minutes as he turned, fell and had a crack on goal as Grant Leadbitter chipped it into the box - John needed some treatment after the shot. Cork missed a great chance to score just before half time, when a cross from Leon McSweeney was totally missed by Behan, but skipper Dan Murray met the ball at the back post. The only problem was, his shot hit the outside of the net as the game remained scoreless.

Grant Leadbitter put a shot just wide within seconds of the restart as Sunderland started well, but Mark McNulty would have had the shot covered had Leadbitter been on target, while David Connolly saw a curling shot from outside the area go straight into McNulty's hands a minute later. Stern John bundled the ball out for a goal kick seconds later as he walked into a left-wing cross from Michael Kay, as Liam Miller put a shot over the bar from the edge of the area as we continued our bright start. Another turn and shot from Stern John went just off target on 50 minutes, and Sunderland were made to pay for those misses.

Denis Behan finally opened the scoring on 56 minutes, when he turned in a corner kick from former Sunderland man Healy, belting the ball into the roof of the net from about one yard out. Sunderland did try to get back into it straight away, but we failed to muster a shot on target as the Cork defence struggled to clear the ball during a push forward. Roy Keane brought on Kieran Richardson, Anthony Stokes and Daryl Murphy just after the hour mark, and Richardson forced a save out of McNulty almost immediately as we continued to push on for an equaliser.

Anthony Stokes beat the offside trap on 73 minutes as he raced into the box, but the former Arsenal man embarrassingly scooped his shot off target, but a minute later, Liam Miller levelled things, beating three Cork defenders before striking a shot that went just under the bar and into the back of the net. Kieran Richardson missed another good chance on 77 minutes, and produced a seemingly happy reaction that would no doubt end up landing him in hot water with Roy Keane afterwards, especially as Darren Ward had to poke away an effort from Liam McSweeney several minutes later!

Michael Chopra came on for the final eight minutes, as Kieran Richardson blazed the ball over the bar again after some good work from Carlos Edwards on 86 minutes. We won a corner as the game entered stoppage time, but it came to nothing, while another Richardson effort went well off target as both sides had to make do with the draw.

Sunderland: Ward, Halford (sub 69, Edwards), Collins, Anderson, Kay (sub 69, Donoghue), Miller, Whitehead, Yorke (sub 82, Chopra), Leadbitter (sub 63, Richardson), John (sub 63, Murphy), Connolly (sub 63, Stokes). Subs: Fulop, Nosworthy, McShane.

Cork City: McNulty, Horgan (sub 72, O'Callaghan), Ryan, Murray (sub 72, Kelly), O'Brien, Cillian Lordan, Healy (sub 82, Meyler), Softic (sub 80, Cathan Lordan), McSweeney (sub 89, Daly), Behan (sub 85, Scanlon), Kearney (sub 82, Lally).