Dominic Comrie saved three penalties in the penalty shoot-out to deny Sunderland and put Preston North End's name into the FA Youth Cup fifth round and provoke scenes of immense jubilation at the Stadium of Light.
Jamie Hoyland's battlers came from behind twice, equalising in the last minutes of regulation time and extra time to take the tie to penalties where Tom Owens, Jamie Proctor and Sam Hart scored and Dom Comrie saved three times to beat Sunderland for the first time in three outings.
Jamie Proctor equalised Ryan Noble's opener in the 89th minute and with the game looking to have gone the Mackems way after Craig Lynch's long range strike at the start of extra time Neil Dougan slammed home in the final minute of extra time to take the tie to penalties.
North End had practiced penalties beforehand and it showed as Comrie saved from three Sunderland players and Owens, Proctor and Hart slammed home to put PNE's name into the fifth round hat.
North End lined up with only one change from their last competitive outing against Port Vale with Scott Leather replacing Conor McLaughlin at right-back, the Irishman ineligible due to his age.
Sunderland's side featured 49 goal strike partnership duo Matthew Fletcher and Ryan Noble, the latter having already played for Sunderland's first eleven.
And it was the leading scorer for the youths who opened the scoring first with the first real chance of the match on five minutes. Dominic Comrie had palmed away a long range strike from Matthew Fletcher and the 17-year-old Noble reacted first to tap in at the far post.
North End took a while to settle into the game and it was from the left wing where Neil Dougan and Sam Hart both tested the Mackems' defence with testing crosses.
The midfield trio of Miller, Owens and Davidson were working hard to compete with their academy counterparts and their endeavour enabled McGreevy and Dougan to link-up, Proctor managed to get his head to McGreevy's cross but he couldn't get enough power on it.
With twenty minutes on the clock PNE had their first shot on goal, Sam Hart played a dangerous ball into Davidson's feet and the Northern Ireland international fired in a goalbound shot but a Sunderland body got in the way.
The home team responded almost immediately with another free-kick causing problems in the PNE box, on this occasion MIchael Lamb the aggressor. Kevin Ball's team came close to extending their lead from that setpiece, Craig Lynch's left-footed ball evading everyone and thankfully running out for corner after bouncing across the six yard box.
The game was certainly the open contest both managers had promised and Neil Dougan was allowed to step inside and he accepted the space, darting towards the 18 yard box before unleashing a low right footed drive that went a foot wide of King's goal.
But the class of Ryan Noble was evident throughout the opening period and on thirty minutes the Sunderland-born striker will feel he should have doubled the home team's lead. The 17-year-old turned Wright on the edge of the box and fortunately for PNE he curled his right foot shot wide of Comrie's right post.
As the half drew to a close the home team pressured further with attempts that North End's defence repelled. FIrst Craig Lynch forced a great save from Dominic Comrie from 20 yards and then John Egan got a free header from the resulting corner which hit the crossbar and kept the scoreline 1-0.
There was little to report in the early exchanges of the second period of regulation time with James Armstrong, Sunderland legend Gordon Armstrong's son, shooting from distance but failing to test Comrie.
Both sides had efforts around about the hour mark as Sunderland aimed to end the tie and PNE targetted an equaliser. Neil Dougan saw long range shots fly wide of King's posts and substitute Jordan Laidler curled a right foot shot well wide of Comrie's left post.
PNE almost equalised on 69 minutes when Miller found Davidson in the box, but the 17-year-old edged his header inches wide of goal.
As the half developed the academy side asserted themselves further and both Craig Lynch and Laidler could, and in the latter should, have doubled the lead with two shots that missed the target when it seemed easier to score.
Jamie Hoyland's second change almost looked to have proven inspired when Jordan Bent latched onto confusion in the Sunderland defence after a Leather cross, but he flashed over from 12 yards.
Both teams were looking leggy in the final exchanges and the home team were in control of the ball before Proctor struck late on to take the game into extra time.
The Ingol-born frontman was first to react to an error from the Sunderland defence and he ran onto Bailey Wright's assist and slided past King effortlessley to send the sizeable travelling contingent at the Stadium of Light into delight.
After a few minutes of rest both sides were at it again and Laidler and Proctor both had opportunities early on to make a decisive intervention. Laidler fired wide from about twenty yards and Owens set up Proctor soon after but after a goalmouth scramble the goalscorer couldn't add to his tally.
Throughout the game Craig Lynch's darting runs had tested PNE's defence and unfortunately for North End he finally found the target with one of his trademark dribbles and shots in the third minute of added on time. Stepping forward into space the number eleven curled in a beautifully measured strike from eighteen yards.
To the credit of Jamie Hoyland's lads they fought back again and McLellan will feel that he could have levelled after a corner had evaded the whole defence, but the striker just couldn't get his body over the ball and he shot over.
The second half of extra time started like the first with Sunderland looking to put the game out of reach for PNE and the visitors aiming to earn parity with an equaliser. Dominic Comrie saved brilliantly from Adam Mitchell before Armstrong crashed a shot just wide of the keeper's goal.
But the pacy substitute Jordan Bent twice threatened the Mackems' defence soon after, almost setting up Proctor after keeping the ball in brilliantly and sprinting clear of the home defence only to for Egan to deny him the chance to shoot with a great challenge.
Michael McLellan was next to come close to levelling for PNE, Sam Hart swinging a dangerous cross in from the right corner that Daniel Devine flicked towards goal but the defender's header went agonisingy over King's goal.
The pressure for North End paid off in the dying seconds when Sam Hart flighted in a corner and after a goalmouth scramble Neil Dougan ran onto the loose ball and from twelve yards he thumped in a half-volley to take the game to penalties.
In the shoot-out Comrie was the hero saving three times from Adams, Armstrong and Lynch while Owens, Proctor and Hart didn't bow to the pressure of a loud home support and hit the net three times to provoke wild scenes of celebration from the players and visiting fans. It was a proud moment for all connected with the youth department and PNE and one which will live long in the memory of all who were there. A truly momentous night for PNE.
Sunderland: King, Bagnall (c), Adams, Egan, Lamb, Marrs, N. Wilson, Armstrong, Lynch, Noble, Fletcher. Subs: Watson, B.Wilson, Harrison, Mitchell (For Marrs, 60), Laidler (For Fletcher, 63)
PNE: Comrie, Leather, Hart, Wright, Devine, MIller (c), Davidson, Owens, McGreevy, Proctor, Davidson: Subs: Clucas (For Leather, 95), Watson, Holton, Bent (For Davidson, 72), McLellan (For McGreevy, 51).
