Championship play-off race: Latest manager comments and next 5 games as Sunderland, Boro and WBA eye promotion

Sunderland moved to within touching distance of confirming their Championship play-off spot with a narrow home win against Alex Neil’s Millwall on Saturday afternoon.

Trai Hume got the only goal of the game as the Black Cats took full advantage of a number of slip-ups from a number of their rivals for a top six place. The weekend got off to a positive start for Regis Le Bris and his players as Coventry City fell to a defeat at new Championship leaders Sheffield United and that allowed Sunderland to open up a 13-point advantage on Frank Lampard’s men with their home win against Millwall.

Sixth placed West Bromwich Albion, who Sunderland face next weekend, were beaten at Norwich City and Bristol City emerged empty-handed from their trip to a Burnley side that remain firmly in the title race. Perhaps the biggest surprise came when Watford were held to a goalless draw by bottom of the table Plymouth Argyle - and that meant Middlesbrough were the only other play-off contender to collect a win as they came from a goal down to see off Oxford United at the Riverside Stadium.

So where does that leave the play-off race as we enter the final ten games of the season? We take a look at the latest comments from managers involved in the top six battle and take a look at what could lies ahead for clubs still in contention for a play-off spot.

What have Sunderland’s play-off rivals said about their latest results?

Frank Lampard - Coventry City (after defeat at Sheffield United)

“We will analyse the game, but it wasn’t a character thing or an application or anything like that today, you come up against a good team who are more clinical than you lose the game. It’s disappointing for sure, but where we’ve come from and what we want to do this season now, it’s important that everybody is very positive and quick moving onto the next game.”

Tony Mowbray - West Bromwich Albion (after defeat against Norwich City)

“We had general domination in the game. It’s frustrating to lose. It’s cruel. That’s probably the word, rather than frustrating. You don’t always get what you deserve in football and we obviously didn’t get what we deserved today. I genuinely couldn’t see them scoring to be honest. They weren’t near our goal or threating us. They had two decent chances through pieces of brilliant play because they’ve got some brilliant individual footballers, but generally, we dominated.”

Michael Carrick - Middlesbrough (after win against Oxford United)

“I think we deserved it in the end, certainly in the way we played second half. I thought it was a bit slow, and a bit sticky in the first half. Credit to them, they started well. They put us under pressure, long balls, long throws, counter attacks, and we were slow. I liked how we responded in the second half though, and we spoke about being positive at half-time. At this time of the year we can get down about certain times of games, moments, it can affect you.”

Liam Manning - Bristol City (after defeat at Burnley)

"You want to test yourself against a good team. I am proud of the lads for fighting to the end. The group have been terrific at that this season. Burnley are a very good side with great depth, but I know we are capable of playing better so that's why there is frustration there. We blocked shots, put our bodies on the line and kept going to the end but we were a sloppy at times and a bit careless with the ball. They created a lot of chances. As the games goes on, you think 'can we nick a point here', but it wasn't to be."

Tom Cleverley - Watford (after draw with Plymouth Argyle)

“I’m disappointed. It’s a game we’ve not managed to win today, so we’ve not achieved our objective. I think we wasted the first half, really. Against a team who has come here to frustrate and play on the counter-attack, you have to be a bit more ruthless than that. You need to play with more intensity, more penetration, less unforced errors.”

Who do Sunderland and their promotion rivals face over their next five games?

1st: Sheffield United (83 points)

5/4 Oxford United (A) 8/4 Millwall (H) 12/4 Plymouth Argyle (A) 18/4 Cardiff City (H) 21/4 Burnley (A)

2nd: Leeds United (81 points)

5/4 Luton Town (A) 8/4 Middlesbrough (A) 12/4 Preston North End (H) 18/4 Oxford United (A) 21/4 Stoke City (H)

3rd: Burnley (81 points)

5/4 Derby County (A) 8/4 Coventry City (A) 11/4 Norwich City (H) 18/4 Watford (A) 21/4 Sheffield United (H)

4th: Sunderland (72 points)

5/4 West Bromwich Albion (A) 8/4 Norwich City (A) 12/4 Swansea City (H) 18/4 Bristol City (A) 21/4 Blackburn Rovers (H)

5th: Coventry City (59 points)

5/4 Burnley (H) 9/4 Portsmouth (H) 14/4 Hull City (A) 18/4 West Bromwich Albion (H) 21/4 Plymouth Argyle (A)

6th: West Bromwich Albion (57 points)

5/4 Sunderland (H) 8/4 Bristol City (A) 12/4 Watford (H) 18/4 Coventry City (A) 21/4 Derby County (H)

7th: Middlesbrough (57 points)

4/4 Blackburn Rovers (A) 8/4 Middlesbrough (H) 12/4 Millwall (A) 18/4 Plymouth Argyle (H) 21/4 Sheffield Wednesday (A)

8th: Bristol City (57 points)

5/4 Watford (H) 8/4 West Bromwich Albion (H) 12/4 Queens Park Rangers (A) 18/4 Sunderland (H) 21/4 Luton Town (A)

9th: Watford (53 points)

5/4 Bristol City (A) 8/4 Hull City (H) 12/4 West Bromwich Albion (A) 18/4 Burnley (H) 21/4 Portsmouth (A)

10th: Norwich City (52 points)

5/4 Plymouth Argyle (A) 8/4 Sunderland (H) 11/4 Burnley (A) 18/4 Portsmouth (H) 21/4 Millwall (A)

11th: Blackburn Rovers (52 points)

4/4 Middlesbrough (H) 8/4 Sheffield Wednesday (H) 12/4 Luton Town (A) 18/4 Millwall (H) 21/4 Sunderland A)

12th: Sheffield Wednesday (52 points)

5/4 Hull City (H) 8/4 Blackburn Rovers (A) 12/4 Oxford United (H) 18/4 Stoke City (A) 21/4 Middlesbrough (H)

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