The Black Cats have moved back into the division’s top six following back-to-back wins over Fleetwood and Crewe, yet some of their rivals have the advantage of games in hand.
As we reach the final stage of the season, there are still several clubs with ambitions of winning promotion from the third tier this term.
The points total required to finish in the play-offs also looks like it will be higher than in previous seasons.
Here’s what some of the managers are saying about the race for promotion:
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1. Paul Warne - Rotherham
League leaders Rotherham are seven points clear of third-place MK Dons, yet Millers boss Paul Warne wasn't getting carried away following a 2-1 win over Lincoln. “It is not going to be a procession to promotion," he said. "The lads are jaded and tired and they need the support of everybody to get through. Fortunately we had enough.” Photo: George Wood
2. Leam Richardson - Wigan
Wigan also appear well placed to win automatic promotion, yet manager Leam Richardson is trying to take one game at a time. "They're all big wins, they're all big games at this stage of the season,” he said following a 2-0 win at Crewe. "People will hype certain games more than others but, from our training ground, they're all the same, no bigger or smaller than the rest." Photo: George Wood
3. Liam Manning - MK Dons
After charging up to third in the table with an 11-game unbeaten run, MK Dons boss Liam Manning is also staying focused on his own side. “You can wreck your head looking at other teams, what they’re doing, their fixtures and so on,” he said. “We have eight games to go, we have to go into next Saturday’s game with the same intensity and discipline to win it.” Photo: George Wood
4. Karl Robinson - Oxford
Following his side's 2-1 win at Shrewsbury, Oxford boss Karl Robinson praised his side for grabbing a late winner “It takes us to 68 points with eight games to go – it’s a really strong position but we’ve not done anything yet," he said. "My players are a bit under the weather in there. There are a few sniffles and colds as you can imagine." Photo: James Chance