Five games to go, and the North-East’s ‘Annus horribilis’ could get much worse yet.

The spectre of relegation continues to haunt all three of the region’s Premier League teams, and there is now every chance that two will be playing Championship football next season. Which two is open to debate, but with just over a month of the season to play, the trapdoor is well and truly ajar, as Scott Wilson reports.

SUNDERLAND

SUNDERLAND are the region’s top dogs at the moment, and last weekend’s 1-0 win over Hull was an absolutely crucial result.

It leaves the Black Cats four points clear of the drop zone, and means two more victories will almost certainly be enough to guarantee survival.

One win and a draw might do, and Saturday’s trip to West Brom represents a golden opportunity to just about make things safe.

Win, and Sunderland will surely be playing Premier League football next season.

Fail to take three points against the worst team in the league, however, and forthcoming matches against Everton, Bolton and Portsmouth will assume an altogether different hue.

Sunderland’s final-day home game against Chelsea is tough, and even though the Blues could have FA Cup and Champions League finals to look forward to, Ricky Sbragia’s side will want their safety to be assured ahead of May 24.

MIDDLESBROUGH

MIDDLESBROUGH gave themselves a lifeline with this month’s victory over Hull, but their survival hopes were seriously dented by Saturday’s failure to beat Fulham.

A three-point gap to safety could be considerably larger by the time Boro have played matches against Arsenal and Manchester United.

They have sprung a surprise against both teams in the past, but even the most optimistic Boro supporter would concede that a point from either game is unlikely.

That would leave away games at Newcastle and West Ham, and a home match against Aston Villa. Depending on how other results have gone, Boro will probably have to win all three to avoid the drop.

The Newcastle game could be a nerve-jangling lottery, but Boro’s final two fixtures could be worse, and a bit of momentum could prove crucial. Two wins and a draw, and Boro would finish on 38 points, enough to give them a fighting chance.

NEWCASTLE UNITED

NEWCASTLE’S situation is equally grave, and after Sunday’s defeat at Tottenham, the Magpies are a point worse off than their Teesside rivals.

A four-point gap to safety is a big deficit at this stage of the season, but Newcastle supporters are clinging to the fact that three of their final five games are at home.

None is against a team from the top seven, and while Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Fulham will hardly be rolling over, a nine-point haul is not out of the question.

Achieve that, and 39 points would probably be enough to achieve safety.

Slip up in any of the home games, though, and Newcastle will be eyeing away games at Liverpool and Aston Villa knowing they will almost certainly need to win one of them to stay safe.

It’s hard to see them getting anything from Anfield, so if they don’t take a maximum return from St James’, the Magpies could well head to Villa Park on the final day ensconced in the bottom three.

Lose in that scenario, and a total of 36 or 37 points is likely to mean Championship football next season.

THE RELEGATION VERDICT...

AT best, Boro and Newcastle are likely to be finishing at around the 39 or 40-point mark. If they do, are any clubs likely to finish below them?

With Portsmouth and Bolton on 37 points already, Blackburn and Hull would appear to be the only clubs who could save one of their North-Eastern rivals.

When it comes to Blackburn, though, the signs are not good. Sam Allardyce’s side host West Brom on the final weekend, and with the Baggies almost certain to be down by that stage, it’s hard to see anything other than a home win.

That puts Rovers on 37 points, meaning they would only need to win one from Wigan and Portsmouth at home, or Manchester City and Chelsea away, to break the 40-point barrier. Do that, and they would probably be safe.

So if there is to be a saviour for either Middlesbrough or Newcastle, it will surely have to be Hull.

Phil Brown’s side have claimed just 14 points from their last available 72, and the fixture list does not make any better reading for fans of the Tigers.

Home games against Liverpool and Manchester United will surely bring nothing, even if United have already won the title by the time they travel to Humberside on the final weekend, meaning Stoke’s trip to the KC Stadium on May 9 could prove crucial.

Away games against Aston Villa and Bolton will be tough, so if Hull fail to beat the Potters next month, it’s hard to see them finishing much above the 37-point mark.

Even in the form they are currently in, both Boro and Newcastle will feel that is in reach.