Sunderland did their survival hopes the world of good by beating rivals Stoke 2-0 on Saturday.
Kenwyne Jones' close-range header on 77 minutes broke the deadlock, but Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen should hang his head in shame at his old stamping ground for failing to keep Trinidad and Tobago striker's effort out.
It looked as though the one goal would do it after the Potters, who had to use all three substitutes in the first half an hour, had Matthew Etherington sent off midway through the second half for kicking Danny Collins.
But substitute David Healy added a second in the final minute of added time when he tracked down Jones' scuffed shot to render referee Rob Styles' astonishing first-half blunder irrelevant.
Styles got out of jail after failing to spot substitute Danny Pugh handling Steed Malbranque's 39th-minute header on the line, denying the Black Cats a penalty and sparing the defender a seemingly inevitable sending-off.
The win will have come as a huge relief to Sbragia, who takes his side to Arsenal and Liverpool in their next two games.
By contrast, the Potters left Wearside having failed to make the most of their let-off when substitute Henri Camara smashed a 66th-minute shot against the crossbar, and facing injury and suspension problems after a black day in the North East.
A return of four points from their previous two games sent Sunderland into the game knowing a fifth league win of the season at the Stadium of Light would ease them well clear of the relegation zone.
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