Phil Smith's verdict: Assessing where now Sunderland stand and the key dilemma for Phil Parkinson

For Sunderland it was unquestionably an underwhelming return, though in the end, defeat proved to be far from fatal.

After the last-gasp draw with Fleetwood, this had begun to take the shape of a must-not lose trip to the Midlands.

A surprising set of results on Saturday meant that was not quite the case.

Oxford United’s continuing resurgence has applied pressure on the top six, but those two automatic promotion places remain very much for grabs.

Coventry City have taken the initiative, without a doubt.

Matt Godden’s early strike has given them a six-point advantage on the Black Cats, and they have still played a game less.

Rotherham United, where Sunderland travel on the last day of the season, sit four points ahead.

Portsmouth and Wycombe Wanderers have just a one-point advantage on the Black Cats, though Kenny Jackett’s side also have one more game to play.

With ten games to go, Sunderland remain firmly in the mix for automatic promotion.

Their fate might not quite be in their own hands, but there will be many twists and turns and the fixture list looks relatively kind for Phil Parkinson and his side.

Of course, this defeat is hugely damaging, and it was one that perhaps brought into focus some of the issues that many supporters fear could leave the Black Cats facing the lottery of the play-offs once again.

Under Parkinson’s charge the Black Cats have developed into a resolute defensive unit, but at the other end, the picture has been more complex.

Though there have been afternoons, mainly at the Stadium of Light, where the opposition have been swept aside and unable to deal with the aggressive press, the numbers suggest that Sunderland are not one of the dangerous attacking sides pushing for promotion.

It has been brought into sharp focus in a week where rare defensive lapses have left them chasing the game against a good standard of opposition at this level.

Sunderland put Coventry under plenty of pressure at St Andrews, but Marko Marosi was not tested as much as Parkinson would have liked.

With their unusual ‘box midfield’, Coventry were comfortable playing their way through the Sunderland press and there were only one or two moments when it looked as if they might play their way into trouble.

Matching Sunderland’s three centre-halves, they dealt relatively well with the barrage of balls fired into their box.

Mark Robins’ side countered well and crucially, seemed to have that touch more composure on the edge of the final third.

Though Sunderland had the edge in terms of territory and possession after Godden’s strike, in an intense second half the home side looked as likely to extend their lead on the break as they did to relinquish it.

Sunderland left having created by far the best of their chances from set pieces.

It was a game of narrow margins but Sunderland seemed to lack a touch of craft and invention.

Parkinson, for his part, attributed that to a lack of calmness in possession.

“I thought the effort was there, but I thought we were just a bit frantic and lacked a bit of quality,” he said.

“We gave the ball away cheaply, and after conceding the goal, it was as though we tried to chase the game too early. We just needed a bit more calmness in our play.

“Some of the stuff was good, we switched the play at times, but our final ball and that little bit of care wasn’t quite there, and that’s what you need to create chances.

“We wanted to get back in the game, but there has to be a method and I just thought we were a bit hurried with the final pass."

It will leave Parkinson with some major decisions ahead of Gillingham’s visit next weekend.

He has been reluctant to tinker with a structure and blend of personnel that by and large has delivered with impressive consistency since the turn of the year.

His assessment of the game clearly suggested he did not believe either of those key issues to be the problem at St Andrews.

Yet this was another lively cameo from Kyle Lafferty, and the likes of Antoine Semenyo and Josh Scowen are yet to get much of a platform to show their talents.

Denver Hume, so impressive for so much of the season and particularly recently, looks a touch lethargic.

Parkinson has been eager to get the right balance on his bench, but Declan John may well have been a useful option to consider here.

These two crucial games had felt like a litmus test of Sunderland’s automatic promotion ambitions.

One point is a disappointing return but it does not feel quite as severe as that headline statistic.

Sunderland have shown plenty of endeavour and collective spirit, while Jon McLaughlin has remained largely untested.

Parkinson’s side remain one with every chance of winning automatic promotion.

The formula employed since that afternoon at Doncaster Rovers is one that has delivered results against many of the level of opponents Sunderland are still to face between now and the end of the regular season.

The concern is that as it stands, they are just putting a touch too much pressure on their defence to be perfect.

The calls for some alterations and fresh legs, particularly in the final third, will only grow this week.

It will be fascinating to see how Parkinson responds.