Sunderland's EFL Trophy win should have been a catalyst for success, a year on from Wembley triumph

Last week marked a year since Lynden Gooch scored the only goal of a pretty dour Papa John's Trophy final. Needless to say, nobody will remember the performance with the result now etched in Sunderland's history.

The significance of Max Power lifting the silverware ended the Black Cats Wembley hoodoo. The Wearsiders had not won at the home of English football since their FA Cup triumph back in 1973.

The result itself was in the midst of a remarkable unbeaten run, that propelled the Black Cats towards the automatic promotion places. Of course, red-and-white supporters do not need reminding of how the season ended.

What should have been a catalyst for their League One promotion run in, ended up a misery. Sunderland were left to play catch-up and fell at the penultimate hurdle, cramming in a number of games in a short period of time - with injuries piling up - something Lee Johnson cited as the reason behind the disappointment at the end of the campaign.

They fell flat on their face in a play-off semi-final defeat against Lincoln City, another poor display that fans have become accustomed to in the depths of League One. It's fair to say the Imps were the better side over the course of the two legs, but Sunderland supporters had every right to demand better, and still do.

A squad overhaul attempted to address the frailties of the last campaign and Sunderland looked to have brushed aside any previous disappointment as they hit the ground running. There was no sign of square pegs in round holes, if you ignore Carl Winchester's selection at right-back.

The summer was a promising one and at the beginning of the campaign, the Black Cats looked like a side capable of securing the League One crown. Again, supporters need no