Sunderland U23s' draw against Stoke City was enough to see them pip Middlesbrough at the post and claim the final Premier League 2 promotion play-off place.
Elliott Dickman's side went into the final game of the regular season against the Potters at the Academy of Light knowing they needed a single point to leapfrog Boro and make it into the play-offs.
Stoke's Christian Norton hit the post in the second half, and Sunderland's Will Harris headed against the bar.
But Josh Hawkes broke the deadlock with a free-kick on 84 minutes which briefly lifted Sunderland to third in the table, but Tom Sparrow levelled just 60 seconds later.
But a point saw Sunderland finish fifth in Division Two, and they will now face Stoke - who finished second - in the play-off semi-final at the bet365 Stadium.
Crystal Palace will play Wolves in the other semi-final.
Sunderland used the U23 game to ease first-teamers Tom Flanagan and Jake Vokins back into action.
Northern Ireland centre-back Flanagan, who was returning from a broken bone in his foot, played the opening 45 minutes before he went off at half-time in a pre-planned substitution.
And on-loan Southampton left-back Vokins played 70 minutes of the match, in his third successive outing for the U23s as he steps up his recovery from the after-effects of Covid.
Flanagan could now come into contention for Sunderland's League One play-off campaign, which starts against Lincoln City at Sincil Bank a week on Wednesday.
Boss Lee Johnson spoke about Flanagan yesterday, saying: "The timing of it means we've chased it, but he has to be right and to feel right.
"In an ideal world, I would have liked to have seen him in the game [against Northampton yesterday] but that came a little bit early.
"So we have to make a serious call, whatever it might be, on him and probably on three or four of the lads."
Sunderland also fielded a trialist, 20-year-old West Bromwich Albion midfielder Tyrese Dyce, against Stoke.
SUNDERLAND U23: Patterson, K Richardson, Flanagan (Almond 46), Younger, Vokins (Hackett 71), Wilding, Wearne, Hawkes, Dyce, Neil, Harris. Subs not used: A Richardson, Scott, Taylor
