Sunderland are hanging in there. This win at Cardiff City, coupled with Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City, Watford, Millwall, Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion all dropping points, means the Black Cats are still in the play-off race with five games remaining.
Sunderland have cut the gap between themselves and the play-off places to four points and it now looks like eight teams chasing two places, the Black Cats and the six teams mentioned above plus Preston North End, who won yesterday. And of those seven rivals, Sunderland's final three games pit them against three of them - West Brom, Watford, and Preston.
But to keep Sunderland's chances alive going into those last three games, the Black Cats will first have to rediscover some form at home. Sunderland have not won at the Stadium of Light since February 11, when they narrowly defeated Reading 1-0.
