Sunderland a Cats whisker from return to Premiership

Wigan 0 Sunderland 1

After spending all but two weeks of the campaign in the top two, Paul Jewell’s men now find themselves behind the Black Cats and Ipswich, with just five games remaining to turn the situation around.

It represents a chilling repeat of 12 months ago, when Wigan only fell out of the play-off places in the final minute of the final game and Jewell now faces a major test of his managerial abilities to lift a side that has now suffered back-to-back home defeats inside four days following Saturday’s reverse to West Ham.

Not even a record JJB Stadium football crowd could prevent Sunderland completing an eighth successive Coca-Cola Championship win and Mick McCarthy’s men now seem certain to take the Football League trophy with them on their return to the top flight.

Three wins should certainly be within their grasp on this evidence, especially if the Wearsiders enjoy the type of good fortune they experienced in the build-up to Stewart’s crucial strike.

The entire Wigan side stopped, believing the ball had drifted out of play before Liam Lawrence swept forward down the right flank.

Instead, the game continued, allowing Lawrence to drift a superb cross beyond the Latics defence and straight into the path of Stewart, who expertly nudged home his 16th goal of the campaign.

The incident sparked furious protests from the home camp, who had not recovered from another pivotal decision going against them at the other end.

Had Wigan’s Gary Teale smashed his second minute shot into the net instead of straight at Thomas Myhre, referee Andre Marriner might have been praised for his willingness to play the advantage when Gary Breen clipped Jason Roberts’ heel.

Instead, the move backfired, leaving Wigan to complain Breen should have been dismissed as Roberts would have been clean through as he darted onto Nathan Ellington’s flick.

To have that frustration compounded by the officials’ failure to spot the ball crossing the touchline in the build-up to Stewart’s opener was almost too much to bear for Jewell, who spent the remainder of the first half in animated annoyance, his body literally shaking as every order was barked out.

Beside him, McCarthy was a picture of contentment as Breen and fellow centre-half Stephen Caldwell almost completely snuffed out the threat of Ellington and Roberts, who between them had found the net on 42 previous occasions this term.

Play-off chasing Preston gave Sir Tom Finney the perfect 83rd birthday present with a scintillating display against hapless Brighton.

Graham Alexander’s penalty and a Richard Cresswell header put the hosts two up at the break before David Nugent added a third early in the second half.

It was just reward for a rampant display against a Brighton side whose confidence looked bereft after five straight defeats - with relegation now a distinct possibility.

Club President and Preston legend Finney was the guest of honour at Deepdale, with a half-time presentation to mark the occasion, although there will be an even bigger party if North End finally end their 44-year exile from top-flight football - the club were relegated the season after Finney retired in 1960.

Brighton had been waiting even longer since their one and only win at North End in 1908.

And despite beating Preston at the start of the season in a match that cost Craig Brown his job, it was a result they never looked like repeating.

Teddy Sheringham’s late intervention kept West Ham’s push for the play-offs on track as he slotted home with time running out to sink Burnley at Turf Moor.

With seven minutes left the evergreen Sheringham latched onto Marlon Harewood’s ball across the area to tap home the only goal.

WIGAN: Filan, Eaden, Jackson, Breckin, Baines, Teale (Jarrett 64), Kavanagh, Bullard, Mahon (Ormerod 45), Roberts, Ellington.

SUNDERLAND: Myhre, Wright, Breen, Caldwell, McCartney (Danny Collins 73), Robinson, Lawrence, Whitehead, Arca, Brown, Stewart (Elliott 82).