Sunderland have become front-runners in dramatic Championship play-off race - opinion

It was a missed opportunity, and if anything, it was made even more frustrating when the results from Wednesday’s games came in.

But it kept the Black Cats firmly still in the balance for the top six; all of this still happening as their hopes have ebbed and flowed over the past weeks.

Yet, the expectation, again, from the Sunderland ranks was that they would drop down the division before their Sunday lunchtime contest with fellow contenders, West Brom.

However, as both sides kicked off on Sunday afternoon, they knew that for either, a win would move them into the top six, due to Millwall’s defeat to Wigan and Preston and Blackburn’s dramatic draw at Deepdale on Saturday.

Still, if the Black Cats really wanted to assert themselves fully onto this captivating play-off race, they knew what they needed to do at the Hawthorns. And so, they very much did.

It was the complete away performance – arguably the biggest of their whole season – in what was an absolutely titanic three points.

Defensively, at times, the Black Cats had to hold the fort and stand resolute against a West Brom side that held quality and technique within the final third and a danger from set-plays, something that they had to contend with without a recognised centre-back and a distinct lack of height.

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the pitch, it was a devastating show from the away side. They carved some superb opportunities against a side with one of the best home records in the division, and upon the two occasions, Dennis Cirkin found the back of the net, and produced two brilliant attacking moves.

And now, it’s all come down to these two matches. Their burning hope is still alive with only two games to navigate through. Win both and the play-offs are theirs.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Sunderland have become the surprise front-runners of this dramatic play-off race in the Championship