For three days over Easter weekend they believed that the Great Escape was on, again. Friday night's shock 4-1 victory at Derby was the source of Sunderland's hope.
But not now, not after this demoralising home defeat leaves them five points from safety with six to play.
The escape is on alright, they'll be exiting the Championship in the coming weeks, becoming only the fifth team to suffer back-to-back relegations from the top-flight to the third-tier.
A sodden Chris Coleman celebrated in the rain at Derby but he looked like he was drowning beneath a sea of weariness when he came to reflect here, even if he did try to apply a positive spin.