AN injury-time goal from Josh Maja saw the Shrimps fall to their third Checkatrade Trophy defeat of the season.
The young striker kept his cool to produce a low finish past Mark Halstead with the game looking set for penalties.
Morecambe started on the front foot with debutant Florent Cuvelier seeing a shot on nine minutes well blocked by Glenn Loovens before Garry Thompson, making his first start of the season dragged the rebound wide.
Two minutes later the Shrimps threatened again and Jason Oswell was unlucky to see his close range header from Cuvelier's corner cleared off the line by Luke O'Nien.
After a sluggish start the visitors came into the game with Jack Diamond firing a shot wide from the edge of the box and Jordan Hunter forcing Mark Halstead Into a flying save with a well struck effort.
Morecambe then produced the best effort of the half when Alex Kenyon let fly win a fine effort from 20 yards that beat Robbin Ruiter but crashed against the foot of the left hand post.
The second half saw Sunderland start well and Halstead had to be at his best again to hold on to a shot from Bryan Oviedo from the left hand side.
The rest of the half saw Morecambe look the more dangerous with Ruiter spilled a Kevin Ellison cross and was fortunate to see the ball creep just wide of the right hand post.
From there Joe Piggott volleyed over at full stretch and Ruiter had to produce a fine reaction save to tip away a Sam Lavelle effort from six yards as the Shrimps pushed for the winner.
With the 90 minutes up penalties seemed certain but the Shrimps lost the ball in midfield and Sunderland made them pay with a fine counter attack as the Shrimps conceded a late goal once again - a bad habit that has crept into their game this season.
Morecambe : Halstead, Cranston, Lavelle, Yarney, Conlan, Kenyon. Cuvelier (rep Tutte 56), Mendes-Gomes (rep Piggott 69), Thompson (rep. Hedley 76), Ellison, Oswell. Subs not used: Szczepaniak, Old, Brownsword, Mandeville.
Sunderland: Ruiter, Hunter, Loovens, Ozturk, Oviedo, Hackett (rep Neil 90), Power, O'Nien, Diamond (rep Connolly 65), Bainridge, Maja, Hunter (repTaylor 60). Subs not used: Patterson, Taylor, Connelly, Leonard, Neil, Kokolo, Young.
Referee: P Marsden