Sunderland must now set their sights on the play-offs after seeing their automatic promotion hopes grind to a halt on Tuesday night.

Jack Ross' side fell to a shock defeat against 11th-placed Fleetwood as Paddy Madden and Ashley Eastham cancelled out Lee Cattermole's openeer.

The result meant Luton Town and Barnsley sealed the top two spots, with rivals Portsmouth also suffering defeat against Peterborough.

Tuesday's result means the Black Cats have now won just once in their last six outings at a pivotal moment in their season.

Ross, who was appointed Sunderland manager in the summer, will feel concerned by this run heading into the play-offs, as he now faces an uphill task to fulfil his brief of getting the Wearside club back into the Championship.

The former St Mirren boss has spoken out about this blow, and he claims that he feels let down by results rather than the performances.

"We want to win every game and we have tried to create that mentality, he told the club's Twitter account.

"The last three or four have been frustrating because our performances have been good, but the results haven’t quite been there."

The results he refers to have seen the Black Cats draw with Peterborough and Portsmouth, as well as that Fleetwood defeat.

His side now sit fourth in the table ahead of their weekend clash with Southend United.

The Verdict

Ross has every reason to feel frustrated, as the club had looked on track to achieve automatic promotion before this concerning run.

His future will be cast into doubt if he fails to seal Sunderland's second-tier return, so it is vital to him that the club rediscover their winning formula ahead of the semi-finals.

Recent form suggests they do not look like a side capable of sealing promotion.