The moment a stunned Tony Mowbray uncovered a new attacking weapon for his Sunderland side

Danny Batth was causing a fair amount of havoc up front and then from nowhere, with time ticking and a goal or two required, Aji Alese proceeded to launch a long, flat and pretty dangerous throw right into the heart of the box.

It came as a surprise to just about everyone in the Stadium of Light, including the head coach in the dugout.

While Mowbray has warned not to expect to see it very often, it's very much been noted that Sunderland might have another string to their bow if they are chasing a game late on in the future.

Mowbray said. "I spoke to him in training on Friday actually and said to him, 'I've been here six months and you never mentioned that long throw mate!'

"I think you will see more of it moving forward. It's not going to be something we do every time it goes down his side, we're a possession-based football team. Late in the game, you're pushing your centre-halves up.. we've seen ourselves how much trouble it can cause and particularly if teams aren't really prepared for it. All of a sudden Danny Batth is flicking one on and you might get something from it.

"We might well use it, but it's certainly not going to be the core of what we do. I'd rather get the ball and get it to the feet of a Patrick Roberts or a Jack Clarke."

Though not likely to be deployed too often, Sunderland's discovery will at least mean they avoid a repeat of their failure to deploy it during Rory Delap's spell at the club in the mid-2000s.

Delap played 13 games for Sunderland before moving to Stoke City, where he won a long-throw contest in pre-season.

The midfielder went on to tell a stunned Tony Pulis that he had been a javelin champion in his youth, and went on to help his new team become one of the Premier League's toughest opponents with their new-found weapon.