TWO games to go, and the end of the season cannot come quickly enough for Sunderland.

The Black Cats’ penultimate home game ended in a miserable defeat to Millwall, with their former player, Duncan Watmore, sealing their fate with the only goal of the game within four minutes of coming onto the field as a second-half substitute.

Watmore’s front-post finish settled a desperately-poor encounter in which Sunderland never really threatened the Millwall goal, and means the Wearsiders have still not recorded a home victory since mid-February. Their final chance to rectify that comes on the last day of the season when they host relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday.

Millwall are now safe from the drop, having successfully shackled a Black Cats line-up that continues to look bereft of a goalscoring threat. As has been the case all season, the lack of a forward capable of leading the line is holding Sunderland back, and must be addressed in the summer. Not, however, that it is the only thing on Wearside that needs fixing during the close season.

With Dan Neil injured, Mike Dodds was forced to alter the side that had performed so well at Leeds and West Brom. Bradley Dack got the nod to start as the central forward, with Jobe Bellingham dropping back into midfield, and Dodds also opted to start with Aji Alese in the back five, with Trai Hume on the bench.

The home side dominated possession from the outset, but struggled to create chances against a Millwall side who have hauled themselves away from trouble in recent weeks.

Chris Rigg fired a 15th-minute shot straight at Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic after creating space 20 yards out, before Dan Ballard headed over from the edge of the six-yard box after Luke O’Nien nodded Dack’s corner back across goal.

Callum Styles saw a shot deflected wide midway through the first half, but while Sunderland were the more threatening of the two sides, they were perhaps fortunate to still have 11 men on the field for the final hour.

Jack Clarke picked up an early booking for obstructing Sarkic when he was attempting to clear his lines, and the winger could easily have received a second yellow card when he mistimed a lunge at George Saville. Referee Anthony Backhouse beckoned Clarke towards him, but issued a firm reprimand rather than a red card.

Millwall’s only first-half opportunity came to nothing when Zian Flemming headed wide at the back post from a corner, but with Sunderland equally lethargic, Dodds opted for a change at the break.

Hume replaced the ineffectual Dack, with Alese shuffling across to left wing-back, Styles moving into midfield and Bellingham returning to his previous role as the lead forward.

If Dodds was hoping the changes would spark Sunderland into attacking life, he was left disappointed. The Black Cats were no more threatening after the break than they had been before it, hence the head coach’s decision to make further alterations just after the hour mark, with Abdoullah Ba and Adil Aouchiche coming onto the field.

Ba and Aouchiche at least provided some energy in the final third, with the former almost helping to engineer a breakthrough in the 68th minute.

Ba picked out Styles with a cross from the right-hand side, but the midfielder’s shot from close to the penalty spot was blocked by Ryan Leonard.

However, while Dodds tried to change things with his substitutes, it was Millwall boss Neil Harris who produced a game-changing alteration midway through the second half.

Watmore came on for another former Sunderland player, George Honeyman, and the forward had only been on the pitch for four minutes when he made the breakthrough.

Ryan Leonard crossed from the right, and Watmore burst ahead of Ballard to prod home a first-time finish at the front post.