This is how it played out as Sunderland produce brilliant fightback to take slender lead against Luton Town

Sunderland will take a slender lead to Kenilworth Road after producing a stirring comeback in front of over 46,000 supporters at the Stadium of Light.

Luton Town left the home side on the ropes when they scored from an early corner but another stunning goal from Amad got Tony Mowbray's side level and a brilliant second-half display was capped by a clever Trai Hume header into the bottom corner.

The tie remains firmly in the balance but an excellent showing from a home side with just one central defender fit for selection means supporters can still dream of back-to-back promotions.

Sunderland began superbly in front of a capacity crowd, making all the running as Clarke burst into the box from the left flank and sliced an effort wide on his weaker foot. They came close to getting the opener when Roberts did the same from the opposite flank, and his effort was most definitely arcing towards the far corner. Horvath palmed clear, and managed to push it just out of the reach of Gelhardt who was waiting just a couple of yards out.

The signs were good for the Black Cats but their major lack of height and natural defenders cost them from Luton Town's first corner. Sunderland just couldn't make good contact with the floated delivery, and though Patterson rushed off his line to make a brilliant close-range save, the ball eventually broke kindly for Adebayo who turned into the roof of the net.

For a protracted spell after that the game became exactly what Sunderland had feared, similar to so many of their recent home games but against a side with even better organisation and athleticism. With no out ball the hosts could only try to keep playing out from the back, and the visitors thrived as they pressed in midfield and then broke in numbers. Adebayo went close to a second and was denied by an excellent block from Trai Hume, before Patterson then dealt well with a low free kick from Doughty right on the very edge of the area.

Sunderland were struggling to make any inroads but that changed not long before the break, Roberts alert to a loose ball and drawing a poor challenge from Mpanzu. Luton were slow to react as Pritchard rolled the ball into the path of Amad, who rifled a quite astonishingly good effort into the far corner.

It had been an immensely difficult half for Mowbray's side, but they reached the interval with parity in tact.

They began the second half in control of possession and went close when Pritchard showed brilliant footwork to break to the byline, his cutback dragged just wide of the near post by Gelhardt on his right foot.

Luton slowly began to regain their composure but Sunderland were still threatening, a great run from Roberts ending in a shot deflected just wide. Sunderland took the corner short, keeping at alive on the edge of the area. They eventually played out it to the left flank, where Jack Clarke whipped a cross onto the head of Hume who deftly turned it into the bottom corner.

Sunderland continued to push in what was an excellent second half showing, but they were unable to really rest Horvath again and in the end Luton were able to dig in and keep themselves firmly in the tie.

Sunderland XI: Patterson; Hume, O'Nien, Gooch; Roberts (Huggins, 81) , Neil, Ekwah, Clarke, Pritchard (Ba, 90) , Amad; Gelhardt

Subs: Bass, Taylor, Lihadji, Michut, Anderson

Luton Town XI: Horvath; Bell, Lockyer, Osho; Drameh (Onyedinma, 72) , Nakamba, Mpanzu, Clark (Berry, 79) , Doughty (Burke, 81) ; Morris, Adebayo

Subs: Shea, Potts, Burke, Campbell, Freeman

Bookings: Neil, 16 Nakamba, 29 O'Nien, 30 Mpanzu, 38 Doughty, 73 Clark, 77 Amad, 83

Attendance: 46,