The Hatters made it six matches unbeaten in the Sky Bet Championship, but had to settle for a point in controversial circumstances as Sunderland were handed a late penalty to draw level at Stadium of Light this afternoon.

Town led through Alfie Doughty's 51st-minute free-kick, but were pegged back by an 86th-minute Amad Diallo penalty - awarded after referee Scott Oldham harshly judged Amari'i Bell to have tugged the Sunderland substitute to the ground.

TownElijah Adebayo was selected to make his 100th appearance for the club as part of an unchanged side from the one that beat Bristol City in midweek, as the Hatters looked to make it six matches unbeaten - and eight away from home in the league - against a Sunderland side sitting 12th in the Sky Bet Championship table.

The former Walsall man had the game's first attempt on goal, firing a low 20-yarder that Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson was right behind, as the Hatters started really well.

Amari'i Bell had the next chance on 15 minutes, playing a one-two with Morris to break into the Black Cats' box, only to send his right-footed shot off target when off balance.

Sunderland fired a warning shot two minutes later, Dan Neil hitting the outside of Ethan Horvath's left post with a curling shot from the edge of the area.

A scrappy period followed, lit up by Lockyer chopping the ball past a Sunderland attacked when under pressure in his own penalty area, before the Wales international picked up a 36th-minute yellow card for an off-the-ball trip on Luke O'Nien.

Chances were non-existent before half-time, with the Hatters enjoying plenty of possession and getting into good areas expecially through Alfie Doughty and Bell down the left, but unable to find the final killer ball to create an opening.

That all changed within six minutes of the restart, when Doughty opened the scoring with a set-piece routine straight from the training ground.

The left wing-back had seen a 49th-minute shot saved well by Patterson, after Berry and Morris had combined to tee him up on the left side of the area, when he took charge of a free-kick on the right angle of the box in the 51st minute.

Rolling the ball to Drameh along the 18-yard line, Doughty whipped his left-footed shot low through a forest of legs and past Patterson, who could do nothing to keep out the former Stoke man's second goal in a Town shirt.

Sunderland tried to reply immediately, Horvath reacting brilliantly to push away an O'Nien effort from a corner, before Lockyer threw himself in front of a shot from the edge of the box, then raced back to win a perfectly timed challenge on Jack Clarke as the hosts' left winger bore down on the Town goal.

Edwards made his first change on 57 minutes, replacing Berry with Jordan Clark, who had missed the last two games with a calf injury, before an exhausted Doughty - who had run himself into the ground - went off with 15 minutes remaining, with Fred Onyedinma on in his place.

Sunderland drew level in the 86th minute when Bell was harshly penalised for a foul on Amad, who picked himself up to smash the penalty past Horvath after referee Scott Oldham had eventually pointed to the spot after consultation with his assistant.

The draw keeps the Hatters in fourth position, seven points inside the play-off places, and unbeaten in eight away league matches as they head into the international break.

TOWN: Horvath; Drameh, Osho, Lockyer (C), Bell, Doughty (Onyedinma 75'); Nakamba, Berry (Clark 57'), Campbell; Morris, Adebayo (Woodrow 83'). 

Subs: Shea, Lansbury, Burke, Taylor.

Goal: Doughty 51'

BLACK CATS: Patterson, Batth (C), Ballard, Neil (Bennette 72'), Roberts, Clarke, Gelhardt (Ekwah 72'), Hume (Pritchard 72'), Ba (Amad 55'), O'Nien, Michut (Gooch 72').

Subs: Bass, Lihadji.

Goal: Amad 87'

REFEREE: Scott Oldham

ATT: 37,579 (1,054 Hatters)