Tony Mowbray rues Sunderland's 'achilles heel' as play-off push heads to the final day at Preston North End

Watford were able to capitalise in the absence of Dan Ballard and Danny Batth at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, scoring from both of their corners to take what at the time seemed like an unassailable lead.

The Black Cats fought back through goals from Luke O'Nien and then Patrick Roberts to take the Championship campaign until the final day of the campaign.

Sunderland's top-six fate is no longer in their own hands, but they know that a win in front of nearly 6,000 travelling supporters at Preston North End could yet secure a play-off place.

Dan Ballard is unlikely at this stage to return from a hamstring injury in time for that game, meaning Mowbray and his staff will again have to try and compensate for a major lack of height in their backline at Deepdale.

"It's a real issue for us, we did amazingly well at West Brom to keep them out," Mowbray said,

"Every player they brought on towards the end seemed to be 6ft 5 but we managed to see it out," Mowbray said.

"Today, we weren't quite able to see those two set plays out - we know it's an achilles heel for us without Danny Batth and Dan Ballard. Without Aji Alese and Ross Stewart as well, there's four players who could help deal with that scenario all unavailable.

"It's really difficult when you've got big, aggressive guys who make a living out of attacking the ball and heading it. Someone just said to me in my office there - have you thought about leaving two guys up the pitch? I have, but my view is the more space you give these big guys to run into the more dangerous they become. We try to fill the box so they don't have the space. They damaged us today from set plays and yet we kept going until the very death."

Sunderland’s top-six hopes remain very much alive thanks to Roberts’ late strike, with Millwall set to face Blackburn Rovers on the final day of the campaign.