Joe White’s first half opener was cancelled out deep into stoppage time as Sunderland goalkeeper Alex Bass bundled the ball in from a corner to see the match end 1-1.
Newcastle midfielder Jay Turner-Cooke was given his marching orders in the closing stages after being shown a second yellow card.
There were some objections to Sunderland’s late goal from the Newcastle players, who felt the goalkeeper handled the ball on the way to finding the net.
Despite the late heartbreak, the draw sees Newcastle move up to fifth in the Premier League 2 Division 2 table while Sunderland remain ninth.
Here are the player ratings from the match...
1. Jude Smith - 7
Was alert to deny Nathan Newall in the first half and made a good double stop in the second. Managed his area well and made a couple of confident claims but will be disappointed with the equaliser. | Frank Reid
2. Harry Barclay - 7
Made a good block early on to thwart a Sunderland attack as he stopped Nathan Newall’s low cross into the box. Had a difficult task against Sunderland first-teamer Jewison Bennette in the second half but managed to limit the Costa Rican. | NW
3. Niall Brookwell - 7
Covered well defensively and made an important last-man challenge to stop Sunderland going through on goal in the second half. Kept things simple when needed. | Getty Images
4. Alex Murphy - 8
The highly-rated defender’s first taste of Tyne-Wear derby action saw him lead the side out as captain. The summer signing got stuck in and was a calm head at the back to help keep Sunderland at bay. Despite being one of the youngest members of the squad, Murphy plays with a maturity and composure beyond his years. | Frank Reid