Sunderland have now lost back-to-back games after their defeat against Hull City on Saturday lunchtime, and this latest loss could be very costly indeed.
Coming off the back of a gut-wrenching, last-gasp defeat to Leeds United on Monday night, Sunderland were desperate to get back on track with a win against struggling Hull this weekend.
An Anthony Patterson error in the first half — as the Sunderland goalkeeper fumbled the ball into his own net from a corner — proved to be the difference between the two sides as Hull picked up a crucial three points in their fight for survival.
Questions are being asked about Patterson now, but looking at the bigger picture, Regis Le Bris’ men may now have thrown their chances of promotion down the drain.
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Sunderland’s home record is ruined, and a major mental factor is now gone
Before the defeat to Hull, Sunderland were unbeaten at home all season. That incredible record at the Stadium of Light — and being one of the few teams left in the Football League to have avoided defeat at home this season — was a huge mental advantage for the Black Cats.
By losing to Hull, Sunderland have not only missed out on an important three points in the race for automatic promotion, they have now been stripped of a big advantage that they held over the teams above them (Burnley aside).
Going into games at home knowing that you are quite literally unbeatable is a massive source of strength and belief for any team, and is something the young Sunderland squad has clearly thrived on over the course of the season.
It was also a brilliant fear factor to hold over any team visiting the Stadium of Light. Managers and players travelling to Wearside would have been well aware they were coming up against an immovable object and a mammoth task, but that illusion has now been destroyed by Hull.
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Have the wheels come off for Sunderland’s promotion push?
It’s hard not to look at the current situation and feel like it’s all gone drastically wrong for Sunderland. The last week has been nothing short of a disaster, really, and the Black Cats do now look like they can forget about securing a top-two spot and automatic promotion from the Championship.
The gap in terms of points is still attainable, but Burnley, Sheffield United, and Leeds are very unlikely to lose many games at all from here on out.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LeedsLeeds | 33 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 68 | 20 | 48 | 72 |
| 2 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 33 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 47 | 23 | 24 | 70 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 34 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 43 | 9 | 34 | 68 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 34 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 50 | 31 | 19 | 62 |
| 5 |  West BromWest Brom | 34 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 44 | 31 | 13 | 51 |
| 6 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 34 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 39 | 34 | 5 | 51 |
We look to the play-offs, then, assuming that Sunderland do indeed have a place in the top six wrapped up — it would take a monumental collapse for the Mackems to drop below fourth place now, surely.
If Sunderland could have maintained their unbeaten home record going into the play-offs, that semi-final at the Stadium of Light would have been terrifying for any opponent. Given their current form and the lack of momentum, plus the fact Sunderland simply look tired and deflated, no one will fear them.
Sunderland fans were booing at full-time on Saturday, with further critique of Le Bris and his team for another flat performance. It’s on the players and the manager now to find the winning formula once more and lift spirits as soon as possible, lest the Black Cats stagnate entirely and fade away just as the important part of the season arrives.