Sunderland will have to take their chances in the play-offs after their automatic promotion bid foundered at Fleetwood.
The Black Cats had to win at Highbury Stadium to stand any chance of overtaking Luton Town or Barnsley on the final day.
But Lee Cattermole’s first half header was cancelled out by Paddy Madden 15 minutes from time, and Ashley Eastham headed home from a corner in injury-time to complete the turnaround.
With fellow promotion contenders Portsmouth losing at home to Peterborough United, that means Luton and Barnsley are now promoted, although the title has still to be decided on the final day.
Sunderland stay fourth in the table but could still finish anywhere between third and fifth, depending on how results go in the final round of fixtures on Saturday.
Jack Ross had said on the eve of the game that he would be forced into making changes to the side that drew against Portsmouth at the weekend, with several players carrying minor knocks.
And he brought in Lynden Gooch, Chris Maguire, and Will Grigg into the starting XI in place of Aiden McGeady, George Honeyman, and Charlie Wyke.
Luke O’Nien went off late in the game against Pompey but recovered in time to start tonight.
Fleetwood Town boss Joey Barton made one change to the side that drew at home to Bristol Rovers.
Top scorer Ched Evans missed out through injury, with his place taken by Madden.
Sunderland made all the early running and Fleetwood keeper Alex Cairns had to be alert to make a sliding challenge on Grigg inside the penalty area when the striker almost latched onto an underhit backpass.
Cairns also saved from Max Power, and Cattermole sent a long-range effort over the bar inside the first quarter-hour.
Grigg was inches away from giving the Black Cats the lead on 17 minutes when he worked space for a shot inside the area but his powerful right-footed effort crashed back off the crossbar.
And a minute later, Grigg should have done better when he was picked out inside the box by Lewis Morgan but could only direct his downward header straight at the keeper.
Fleetwood’s best chance of the half came on 28 minutes when Wes Burns’ low cross from the right found Ashley Nadesan at the near post but Jon McLaughlin was quick to close him down and block the shot.
A minute later, Sunderland made their dominance count and took the lead.
They won a corner on the right and Maguire’s set-piece found Cattermole, who made no mistake with his header from just a couple of yards out.
The second half was a scrappy affair with few chances.
Maguire fired wide from outside the box after Grigg had headed a long ball from Tom Flanagan into his path.
But Sunderland were made to pay for the chances they missed in the first half when the Cod Army levelled on 74 minutes.
Lewie Coyle raced away down the right and got to the byline and he cut the ball back for the unmarked Madden to sidefoot home from eight yards out.
Sunderland pushed forward looking for a winner but they could not find a way through.
And instead they conceded five minutes into injury time when Eastham headed home from a Ross Wallace corner.
How they lined up
FLEETWOOD TOWN: Cairns, Coyle, Eastham, Husband, Clarke (Sowerby 46), Burns, Biggins, Wallace, Hunter, Nadesan, Madden. Subs not used: Jones, Southam-Hales, Baggley, Hill, Rydel, Mooney
BOOKED: Burns, Sowerby, Hunter, Wallace
SUNDERLAND: McLaughlin, O’Nien, Flanagan, Ozturk, Oviedo, Cattermole, Power, Gooch, Maguire (Honeyman 70), Morgan, Grigg (Sterling 65). Subs not used: Ruiter, Matthews, Leadbitter, Dunne, Hume
REFEREE: Rob Jones (Merseyside)
ATTENDANCE: 4,011
