Alex Neil says Sunderland are in the 'perfect situation' with their play-off fate in their own hands going into the final game of the season. The Black Cats needed a last-minute own-goal to spare them defeat against automatic promotion-chasing Rotherham at the Stadium of Light, but the draw means that Neil's men will go to Morecambe on Saturday in fifth place, but knowing that a win will guarantee a play-off spot.
And Neil insists that keeping things in their own hands by avoiding defeat was the number one priority when the Millers visited Wearside. "The key thing is that it is still in our own hands," he said.
"Of course, we wanted to win the game but I always thought it was going to be a cagey one. But having things in our own hands going into the match is the perfect situation.
READ MORE: Below-par Sunderland rescued by late own-goal to snatch crucial point against Rotherham
"We were playing against a Rotherham team that is playing to get promoted. The last team we played them we got smashed 5-1. If we think we are just going to rock up and beat them 4-0...
"First of all we had to make sure we didn't lose the game today, and second of all we wanted to keep things in our hands at all times."
Michael Ihiekwe headed the visitors in front from a set-piece in the first half, but the defender then put through his own net in the 89th minute to gift Sunderland a point. The Black Cats had failed to muster a single shot on target all game, but Neil still felt his side did enough to earn the draw.
He said: "I wouldn't say I was grateful for a point - I thought we deserved a point with the way the game panned out. We had moments in the game, they had moments in the game, and it was pretty even.
"My biggest frustration was the goal we conceded, because they are a big, strong, team and we knew that set-plays were going to be an issue and that direct balls were going to be an issue. The goal comes from us losing three headers on the bounce. Goal-kick, lose a header; throw-in, lose a header; corner, lose a header.
"That was something we had discussed and focused on, because we knew they would come with that threat and if we could have elminated that threat it would have given us a good opportunity to go on and win the match. The plan was always to be big, be strong, compete, and do all that side of the game for 60 minutes because they are the number one pressing team in the league, they don't let you play, they play on top of you and make it difficult.
"We then brought some of the other lads on to move the ball a bit cleaner, a bit smoother, and try to create opportunities for us to go on and win the game. We had a couple of great opportunities when Luke [O'Nien] flashed the ball across the box, Alex [Pritchard] had a free-kick that everybody thought was a goal.
"It wasn't going to be a game full of chances. As much as Saturday [Sunderland's 5-1 win against Cambridge] was a great game, I knew that this wouldn't be anything like that.
"These type of teams don't let you play like that, they are tough to play against. We didn't link the ball well enough in the first half, but I thought in the second half we deserved a point."
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