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.
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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 reminding how the season has panned out, despite all not being lost.
Johnson was unable to shift his 'streaky' tag that has followed him throughout his managerial career, and Alex Neil is now the man being tasked with reigniting their promotion push. Automatic promotion is out of reach and Sunderland are no better off than they were a year ago, in fact they're worse off.
The club know they cannot afford any slip ups between now and the end of the season, with Sheffield Wednesday hot on their tail feathers. If they Black Cats do make the play-offs at the end of the season, outsiders will not have them down as the favourites, given their form in January.
That oversight could work in Neil's favour. The Sunderland head coach has found a way to win games even when his side are playing poorly, something they've struggled with since dropping down to League One.
Last season's winless run at the end of the campaign cost them automatic promotion, despite it being within touching distance. Sunderland cannot afford a repeat of that.
The Papa John's Trophy win gave the whole club a lift, but the Black Cats cannot call upon that for inspiration this time round. Players and managers have changed since that day in the capital a year ago, but if the players and manager has changed, who is to blame for Sunderland's inability to secure promotion if they fail this time round?
Fingers will be pointed at the Madrox trio who are still involved with the club. The major gripe Sunderland supporters have with the current ownership and until they're gone, it'll be extremely hard to move past recent struggles on the pitch.
When Johnson arrived on Wearside he admitted he needed to change the culture of the club, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus added he needed to rebuild the club when completing his takeover and while these things are bound to take time, it's not something that comes hand in hand when trying to return to the Premier League. Any ownership issues were swept under the carpet as Power held the Papa John's Trophy aloft.
Louis-Dreyfus stood pitch side marking the beginning of a 'new era.' The Wearsiders would not repeat that Wembley feat in the play-offs, despite being favourites to do so, and that euphoria surrounding the EFL Trophy win was quickly doused, but not completely extinguished.
The mental blockade of a Wembley hoodoo was lifted but Sunderland's inability to show that killer instinct when it matters most is still there to this day. No matter how insignificant the Papa John's Trophy triumph may be in the quest for promotion back to the Championship, the club cannot let another opportunity slip by.
If, and it's a big if, Sunderland are to reach the League One play-off final, Neil deserves massive credit for transforming a mismatched Sunderland squad, of youth and experience, into the right balance. The Scot must call upon the members of the Black Cats squad who were triumphant under the Wembley arch and it's about time the showed the killer instinct they've been sorely lacking.
Time will only tell if he's able to succeed.
