Lynden Gooch on the moment that summed up Sunderland's recent rise and why he's relishing these times

If West Brom had found a way through that may well have been that - not just for Sunderland's hopes of three points but for their hopes of fighting their way into the top six.

Five times the home side were denied, and eventually there was Lynden Gooch to hook the ball away from trouble.

Within minutes he was up the other end, an inch-perfect cross headed home by Dennis Cirkin.

Cirkin's second would again showcase the very best of Sunderland's footballing ability, but it was that defensive endeavour that perhaps best summed up how Tony Mowbray's side have managed against the odds to take the play-off race to the final day.

For Gooch, the success has been in adding that flair to the spirit that was built in that long unbeaten run that got Sunderland out of League One in the first place.

He had spoken after agreeing his new deal in pre-season of the importance of keeping the core of that group together and those words have proven prescient.

"I think we've kept that core group from the team that got promoted last season, we've played a lot of games together and even just having the likes of Corry, Ross around the building - although they're not playing they still have a massive part in helping the lads," Gooch explains.

"We've managed to dig in and there's that clip from West Brom where everyone is obviously diving in and putting their bodies on the line to stop them scoring their second, I think that epitomises what we've managed to do in the last few weeks. The younger lads have just followed suit and bought into that, whether that's in training or in matches.

"You see Amad getting his body on the line, I don't know if he'd have been tackling like that and diving in like that nine months ago, and yet he's brilliant every game at both sides of the game, on and off the ball.

"I said at the start of the season that it would be important to keep the core of the group we had together to try and keep going in that direction, and it's obviously turned out even better so far.

"It's been a fantastic season and we're looking forward to Monday."

Gooch is very much one of those senior players now, still just 27 but with over 200 appearances now under his belt it's a role and responsibility he clearly relishes" "I'm 27 yet I think at West Brom there was only Luke and maybe Alex when he came on that was older than me, it feels a bit strange because I'm not exactly coming to the end of the career but it's something I enjoy, I enjoy being that type of person and trying to lead by example."

He'll almost certain by in the middle of it again on Monday, when Sunderland look to book another play-off place in front of almost 6,000 fans at Deepdale.Gooch has been at Sunderland a long time now and so he knows as well as the supporters that a quiet end to the season is not the way things are done at this club.

This time, though, he is part of a group of players who can reflect on a positive campaign that could still get even better.

There is pressure and there will be tension, of course, but the sense is of a club heading in the right direction whatever happens.

"It's nice to be fighting at the top end, there was obviously more pressure in League One to deliver and this season it's just been about trying to keep doing the same things from week to week and keeping that momentum going from last season," he says.

"The pressure was never there to be up here this season, the most important thing was to solidify ourselves as a Championship club after where we'd been.

"We've just kept going and just taking it from game to game, I don't think six weeks ago many people would have seen us here, it's been difficult doing it without strikers for large parts of the season but we've managed it, we've managed to get goals from everywhere."

Gooch has been meeting the cast of The Sunderland Story, which could be playing out at The Empire later this month as another chapter of Sunderland history is being written on the pitch. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the club's second FA Cup win

Gooch, of course, has written his own chapters of Sunderland's history: A Wembley goalscorer and two-time winner.

He has pretty much seen it all on Wearside and it is making these times, the excitement and the optimism, all the sweeter.

"I've loved this season, the last time at this level... I think I did well when I did play but that wasn't as much as I would have liked and obviously there was an awful lot of things going on at the football club, a lot of politics," he says.

"I've got a lot of games under my belt now so it's been great for me. I've had a couple of injuries which was frustrating but if I get in the team at Preston it'll be 30 games for me, I'm happy with that and the fact that I've enjoyed it, proved that I can play at the level. Hopefully we can sneak into those play-offs and who knows from there...

"I think I'm enjoying my football a lot more now for having been through those times.

"I don't think you could have it much tougher starting a career with back-to-back relegations, play-off final losses. I'm so pleased I managed to come through that and that I'm still here, and that I can enjoy these good times."

Hopefully this season still has another peak or two to come yet.