Black Cats champs as play-offs decided
Sunderland claimed the Coca-Cola Championship title on the final day of the regular season as West Brom, Wolves and Southampton sealed their places in the promotion play-offs along with Derby.
Knowing they needed a win to be sure of first place, Birmingham slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Preston, allowing Roy Keane's side to leapfrog them into top spot with a 5-0 win at Luton.
The Black Cats made a perfect start as Anthony Stokes' smart finish (four) and Daryl Murphy's long-range screamer (six) gave them a two-goal half-time cushion. Stokes set up Murphy (46) to make it three before Ross Wallace (77) and David Connolly (86) made it a walkover.
Birmingham missed a string of second-half chances as their title hopes evaporated thanks to Simon Whaley's 85th-minute winner.
West Brom crushed Barnsley 7-0 to clinch fourth spot and the game was over by the break after Kevin Phillips (21), Nathan Ellington's brace (25pen, 36) and Robert Koren's impudent flick put the Baggies four ahead.
Phillips soon made it five (53) and then completed his hat-trick (72), and Zoltan Gera (75) completed the rout while Southampton hammered Southend 4-1 to claim the all-important sixth spot.
Stoke's 1-1 draw at QPR was not enough to extend the Potters' season and Colchester's outside hopes were dashed as Crystal Palace won 2-0 at Layer Road thanks to goals from James Scowcroft and Ben Watson.
Derby, already safe in third, beat relegated 10-man Leeds 2-0 at Pride Park, Coventry won 2-1 at Burnley, Hull lost 2-1 to Plymouth and Ipswich beat Cardiff 3-1 win at Portman Road.
Goals from Jermaine Johnson, Deon Burton and Dickson Etuhu's comical own goal handed Sheffield Wednesday a 3-2 win over Norwich, for whom Robert Earnshaw (56) and Dion Dublin (75) scored.
