Sunderland spared more frustration as late winner keeps their play-off hopes alive

First things first, Sunderland won. And that's what matters. They are at the stage where they simply have to win games by hook or by crook if they are to secure a play-off place and with it a chance of promotion, so in that respect their victory against Gillingham was job done.

But with 94 minutes on the clock at the Stadium of Light it looked like they were heading for another goalless draw, another two points dropped, and another disappointing result that would inflict a damaging blow to their play-off hopes. The game was following the template set at Charlton and Lincoln last month, where Sunderland make all the running, deserve to win, but come up short in front of goal and end up with nothing more than a point for their efforts.

Against a Gillingham side content to sit deep for long periods with ten men behind the ball, Sunderland were afforded Manchester City-like levels of possession - 80 percent, since you ask - but lacked anything even resembling the cutting edge that allows the Premier League leaders to convert that dominance into goals. In the first half, Luke O'Nien headed against the crossbar and Patrick Roberts brought a good save out of Aaron Chapman, while in the second Corry Evans was unable to finish a good chance from a set piece, the captain also put a shot over the bar from the edge of the box following a rapid counter-attack, and in injury-time Ross Stewart was denied by a brilliant block from Jack Tucker.

It was not that Sunderland had played poorly, far from it, but they had just not done enough against a Gillingham side that was still part of the relegation mix. There was a lack of urgency, and they did not seem capable of upping the tempo and finding a way through Gillingham's back line.

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