JACK ROSS admits his players have to sharpen up at both ends of the pitch, but the Sunderland boss is confident they boast the mental strength required to win promotion via the play-offs.

The Black Cats complete their conventional league programme with a trip to Southend United this afternoon, and while the game is effectively a dead rubber with an automatic-promotion place no longer a possibility, there is a need to start generating some positive momentum ahead of the play-off semi-finals.

Tuesday’s defeat at Fleetwood means Sunderland have taken just six points from their last six matches, with their run in the last few weeks representing their worst sequence of results since they stuttered in a similar fashion in September.

Back then, the Black Cats regrouped successfully to embark on an eight-game winning run in October and November, and with the season about to come to a climax, Ross is hoping his players produce a similar response in the next few weeks.

He has no concerns about his players’ ability to cope with the mental demands they will be placed under once the play-offs begin, but accepts they need to improve their performances in both penalty areas if they are to join Luton Town and Barnsley in the Championship next season.

“I don’t think it’s anything to do with mentality,” said Ross. “If you look at the last three games, we’ve created a lot of good opportunities at times, we’ve come up against good goalkeeping at times, but we’ve also not finished as well as we could. I don’t think that’s anything to do with mentality, it’s just not taking opportunities.

“We look at every aspect of every goal, and the truth is pretty much every goal every team concedes, you can apportion blame somewhere. Likewise, you can look at what the other team has done well. But I don’t really have any question marks about the mentality.

“We’ve got to produce a performance through 90-plus minutes, and that takes a bit of mental work, and some physical strength. We spoke positively on Thursday morning about what lies ahead in the next two or three weeks.”

The immediate challenge is this afternoon’s game at Southend, with Ross hoping his side will secure a semi-final schedule that will see them play away from Wearside in the first leg before returning to the Stadium of Light for a decider.

Only a win at Roots Hall would guarantee finishing third or fourth, but Southend have their own incentive to sign off with a victory this afternoon.

Kevin Bond’s side start the day in 20th position, with only goal difference keeping them above Plymouth Argyle and outside the relegation zone. With Bradford City the only side to have already been relegated, six teams are involved in the scrap to avoid League Two, and Ross has pledged to uphold the integrity of the competition by fielding a strong side.

Aiden McGeady will not be involved as his foot problem continues to heal, but Charlie Wyke should start after missing Tuesday’s trip to Fleetwood with a dead leg.

“We want to finish with a win because we want to win games, we want to finish with good momentum going into these play-off games, and then there’s that significance of where we finish in the league and how that will affect the structure of the play-offs as well,” said Ross.

Sunderland (possible, 4-2-3-1): McLaughlin; O’Nien, Ozturk, Flanagan, Oviedo; Cattermole, Power; Honeyman, Maguire, Morgan; Wyke.