Full-time: Swansea City 1 Sunderland 1

A SENSATIONAL solo strike from Jermain Defoe helped Sunderland claim a valuable point from a 1-1 draw at Swansea City.

Defoe ran from close to the halfway line before hammering home a fierce finish as the Black Cats stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches.

The goal, which was Defoe’s second since moving to Wearside last month, gave Gus Poyet’s side the lead at half-time, but former Sunderland midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng headed home a Swansea equaliser midway through the second half.

The South Korean exploited some slack Black Cats marking to convert Kyle Naughton’s cross, but while Swansea pushed for a winner in the closing stages, Costel Pantilimon turned Nelson Oliveira’s 90th-minute strike around the post.

The result, which was probably a fair one given Swansea’s territorial dominance for much of the afternoon, means Sunderland remain in 14th position in the table, four points clear of the relegation zone.

Poyet sprang a major surprise with his team selection as he handed Danny Graham his first Sunderland start since May 2013.

Graham, who moved to the Stadium of Light from Swansea, had been completely out of favour at the start of the season , but his recall was a reward for four decent displays from the substitutes’ bench in recent weeks.

Ricky Alvarez retained his place after impressing in Tuesday’s FA Cup win at Fulham, and Sunderland initially maintained the positive momentum they had displayed at Craven Cottage.

The visitors’ early one-touch passing was crisp and slick, and Jordi Gomez hammered an 18th-minute effort narrowly wide after a great run down the right from Anthony Reveillere.

Swansea hadn’t really threatened at that stage, but the hosts enjoyed a dominant spell for the next quarter of an hour, with Sunderland failing to get tight enough to Jonjo Shelvey, enabling the former Liverpool midfielder too take control of the game.

Shelvey stabbed a 20th-minute effort narrowly wide of the post, before setting up Neil Taylor for what would almost certainly have been a goalscoring opportunity had John O’Shea not produced an excellent last-ditch tackle.

Nathan Dyer dragged a shot wide after good work from Bafetimbi Gomis, and the French striker would have scored shortly before the half-hour mark were it not for a fantastic save from Pantilimon.

Shelvey’s through ball released Gomis into the area, but an onrushing Pantilimon saved the striker’s shot with his right hand.

Pantilimon produced another decent save to prevent Shelvey’s deflected long-range effort from finding the net shortly after, and when Gomis somehow stabbed Modou Barrow’s low cross wide from the edge of the six-yard box, it felt as though as goal was coming.

It arrived three minutes before the break – but completely against the run of play, it was Sunderland who scored it.

Defoe picked up the ball from Liam Bridcutt just inside the Swansea half, but there initially looked very little on as he drove towards the home side’s goal.

However, with Swansea’s defenders standing off him, the former England international burst past Federico Fernandez before lashing home a ferocious shot from the edge of the area.

It was the classic ‘goal out of nothing’, and with a tally of two goals to his name, it means Defoe has already doubled the Premier League goal tally of Jozy Altidore, the player he replaced in a swap deal with Toronto FC last month. The strike also meant the 32-year-old has now scored against all 20 of the current Premier League teams.

Leading at the interval, Sunderland had something to hold on to in the second half, and while Swansea introduced Jefferson Montero in an attempt to sharpen up their attacking, the visitors’ defence initially made a decent job of keeping their opponents in check.

Federico Fernandez hooked over the crossbar after Shelvey’s free-kick dropped invitingly into his path, but Swansea appeared to be running out of ideas before Sunderland’s inability to defend crosses proved their undoing once again in the 66th minute.

Kyle Naughton swung over an inviting centre from the right, and Ki, who spent last season on loan at the Stadium of Light from Swansea, stole between O’Shea and Reveillere to power home a header from eight yards out.

The hosts spent the final 20 minutes pushing for a winner, but while they forced a succession of corners, Sunderland’s defence held firm without too much cause for alarm.

Swansea’s best chance of a winner came in the final minute, but Pantilimon turned substitute Oliveira’s shot around the post.

Swansea (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor (Rangel 67); Cork, Ki; Barrow (Montero 46), Shelvey (Oliveira 78), Dyer; Gomis.

Subs (not used): Tremmel (gk), Amat, Carroll, Fulton.

Sunderland (4-1-3-2): Pantilimon; Reveillere, Vergini, O’Shea, van Aanholt; Bridcutt; Alvarez (Johnson 64), Shelvey, Gomez; Graham (Fletcher 75), Defoe.

Subs (not used): Mannone (gk), Brown, Coates, Agnew, Smith.