Sunderland secured a play-off spot with a game to spare, as they ended their seven-game winless streak with a victory against ten-man Plymouth Argyle.
The Black Cats arrived at Home Park knowing that a win would guarantee them a top six spot regardless of results elsewhere.
And goals from Ross Stewart, Chris Maguire, and Denver Hume, got the job done in Devon.
Stewart scored midway through the first half, before Joe Edwards equalised just after the hour.
Plymouth were almost immediately reduced to ten men after centre-back Jerome Opoku was sent off for a second bookable offence.
From then on it was one-way traffic and substitute Maguire converted from the penalty spot five minutes from time after Lynden Gooch had been brought down by Ryan Law, before Hume added the third in injury-time.
Sunderland also hit the woodwork in each half, through Gooch in the first half and Stewart in the second, and could have run out winners by an even more convincing scoreline.
But the Black Cats will just be relieved to have ended their winless run, and to have got the points they needed to book a play-off place.
Lee Johnson made four changes to the side that started the midweek defeat against Blackpool on Wearside.
The Black Cats boss had said on Wednesday that there were injury doubts over key players, and 30-goal top scorer Charlie Wyke was absent as was Aiden McGeady.
They were replaced by Stewart and Jordan Jones respectively.
Aiden O'Brien dropped to the bench, with Jack Diamond coming into the side.
And Conor McLaughlin made his return following hernia surgery earlier this month, coming in at right-back which freed Max Power to move into midfield where Grant Leadbitter made way and was included on the bench.
Plymouth manager Ryan Lowe made three changes, in his case to the side that lost at Oxford last weekend.
Kelland Watts, Conor Grant, and Ryan Hardie came into the side in place of Sam Woods, Byron Moore, and Luke Jephcott.
Sunderland dominated the first half, went in at the break a goal to the good and it could have been more.
Jones had sent an early sighter straight at keeper Michael Cooper, but the Black Cats made the breakthrough on 21 minutes.
Gooch won the ball inside his own half, turned and his ball into the right-hand channel released Stewart in behind the defence.
The big striker accelerated into the box and then rolled his finish beyond Cooper from a tight angle.
Jones volleyed over the bar from inside the area after good work from Stewart.
And when the home defence backed off, Gooch found himself with space to shoot from inside the D but it was too close to Cooper who pushed the ball to safety.
Five minutes before the break, a training ground corner routine saw Jones pick out Power inside the box but his first-time shot went just wide of the post, with Cooper rooted to the spot.
And then in first half injury time, Stewart set up Gooch just outside the box but his shot clipped the outside of the left-hand upright and went wide.
Plymouth had a couple of chances of their own, and Hardie sent a tame effort straight at Lee Burge when he should have done better, following good work from Niall Ennis.
Ennis also sliced wide from close range after Hume had miscued a clearance straight to the striker.
But their best opportunity fell to Danny Mayor just before half-time, and his volley forced Burge to get down smartly to his right to make the save.
McLaughlin went off at half-time, with Carl Winchester replacing him which meant Power moved to right-back.
Stewart almost doubled Sunderland's lead soon after the break, but Cooper made a good save from his header and then when the loose ball fell for Winchester, his header was straight at the keeper.
Instead, Plymouth levelled on 63 minutes.
Grant's cross from the left corner of the box found Edwards at the far post, and he made no mistake with his close-range header.
Just a minute after getting back on terms, Opoku fouled Stewart just outside the box which earned the defender his second yellow card in the space of ten minutes, and the inevitable red.
Maguire came on, took the free-kick, and almost scored with his first touch.
His shot had Cooper scrambling and the keeper pushed it up into the air, but it needed Edwards to get back and head off the line to complete the clearance.
Stewart then headed against the crossbar, with Maguire denied by Cooper from the rebound.
But Sunderland went back in front from the penalty spot on 84 minutes, after Gooch had been brought down by Law on the right edge of the box, with Maguire stepping up to convert high into the left side of the net.
Plymouth keeper Cooper had needed treatment a few minutes earlier, and following the penalty he was replaced by Luke McCormick.
And in the second minute of added time, Sunderland made sure of victory when Gooch worked room for a shot inside the box and his effort was parried by McCormick straight to the unmarked Hume, who finished from eight yards out.
How they lined up
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE: Cooper (McCormick 85), Edwards, Watts, Opoku, Law, Camara (Reeves 85), Fornah, Grant, Mayor, Hardie (Lolos 63), Ennis (Tomlinson 68). Subs not used: Moore, Jephcott, Craske
BOOKED: Camara, Law, Opoku
SENT OFF: Opoku
SUNDERLAND: Burge, McLaughlin (Winchester 46), Wright, O'Nien, Hume, Scowen (Leadbitter 88), Power, Diamond (Maguire 65), Gooch, Jones, Stewart (O'Brien 88). Subs not used: Matthews, McFadzean, Younger
REFEREE: James Bell (South Yorkshire)
