Luke O'Nien says the pain of Sunderland's play-off defeat is still there - but it will only provide 'fuel' for the coming season. The Black Cats enjoyed a fine return to the Championship last term, finishing sixth in the table to give themselves a chance of earning promotion via the play-offs.
However, after winning the home leg of their semi-final against Luton Town, they lost the return game - and the tie on aggregate - with the Hatters going on to book a place in the Wembley final and, ultimately, earning promotion to the Premier League. O'Nien says that semi-final defeat is not yet out of Sunderland's system, but it will act as a motivating factor as the Black Cats look to improve on last season's achievements.
"The Luton game does feel like a long time ago," said O'Nien. "It [the pain] is still there, and I think that kind of defeat really fuels you for the season.
